Alpha 5 integrin as a prognostic biomarker for survival in carcinomas: a systematic review

Altered integrin expression in carcinomas has been associated with tumor aggressiveness, including survival outcomes. The alpha 5 (α5) integrin is associated with increased proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis in various types of cancer, however there is no systematic review on its potential as a prognostic marker for survival outcomes. This systematic review analyzed studies reporting α5 integrin detection by immunohistochemistry and associated survival outcomes, retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases. Fourteen publications met the inclusion criteria including a total of 2,018 patients diagnosed with ovarian, colorectal, liver, cervical, esophageal, pancreatic ductal, tongue or bladder carcinoma. The survival outcomes assessed in these studies included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and percent survival. Eleven studies reported a positive association between elevated α5 integrin expression and poorer OS or percent survival, while two found no association. Reduced PFS was associated with elevated α5 integrin expression in three studies, whereas two studies reported no such association. One study evaluated α5 integrin expression in relation to RFS and found no association. In conclusion, there is evidence that increased α5 integrin expression is associated with poorer overall and progression-free survival in carcinomas. However, these findings should be further validated through additional research to confirm its potential as a prognostic marker.