Diagnostic value of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme type M2 for colorectal cancer: Evidence from meta-analysis

Background: This meta-analysis is to objectively and comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic value of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme type M2 (M2-PK) in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: All studies on the diagnostic value of M2-PK for CRC were retrieved from the PubMed, WanFang, CNKI, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CBM databases until February 2020. Data were extracted from studies conforming to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The sensitivity and specificity data were pooled. For heterogeneity analysis, subgroup analysis was performed according to race, test method, sample type, and tumor staging. The Stata 16.0 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Results: About 27 studies were included: 1821 cases in the case group and 3406 cases in the control group. The results showed that the pooled sensitivity and specificity of M2-PK for diagnosing CRC were 77% (95% CI: 73%–81%) and 83% (95% CI: 78%–87%), and the area under the ROC curve was 87% (95%CI: 83%–89%). Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that M2-PK has a relatively high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing CRC and has a higher diagnostic value in early diagnosis of CRC. However high-quality prospective studies are required to confirm its diagnostic value.