Background: The death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a tumor suppressor gene, which is a mediator of cell death of INF-γ-induced apoptosis. Aberrant methylation of DAPK promoter has been reported in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the results of these studies are inconsistent. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between the promoter methylation of DAPK gene and HNSCC.
Methods: Relevant studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid, and Embase. The association between DAPK promoter methylation and HNSCC was assessed by odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). To evaluate the potential sources of heterogeneity, we conducted the meta-regression analysis and subgroup analysis.
Results: Eighteen studies were finally included in the meta-analysis. The frequency of DAPK promoter methylation in patients with HNSCC was 4.09-fold higher than the non-cancerous controls (OR = 3.96, 95%CI = 2.26-6.95). A significant association between DAPK promoter methylation and HNSCC was found among the Asian region and the Non-Asia region (Asian region, OR = 4.43, 95% CI = 2.29-8.58; Non-Asia region, OR = 3.39, 95% CI = 1.18-9.78). In the control source, the significant association between DAPK promoter methylation and HNSCC was seen among the autologous group and the heterogeneous group (autologous group, OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.49-4.93; heterogeneous group, OR = 9.50, 95% CI = 2.98-30.27). DAPK promoter methylation was significantly correlated with alcohol status (OR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.07-3.21).
Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis suggested that aberrant methylation of DAPK promoter was associated with HNSCC.