Table 3. Analyses of hazard ratios of overall survival according to ERβ protein expression.
| Comparison | ERβ location | No. of studies | No. of patients | HR (95% CI) | Overall effects P value | I2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univariate analysis | Overall ERβ | 4 | 460 | 1.23 (0.84, 1.80) | 0.282 | 0% |
| Cytoplasmic ERβ | 5 | 683 | 1.35 (0.90, 2.03) | 0.144 | 60.9% | |
| Nuclear ERβ | 12 | 1427 | 1.06 (0.78, 1.46) | 0.695 | 61.8% | |
| Multivariate analysis | Overall ERβ | 1 | 183 | 1.10 (1.00, 1.10) | 0.039 | NA |
| Cytoplasmic ERβ | 3 | 1172 | 1.56 (1.28, 1.89) | <0.001 | 0% | |
| Nuclear ERβ | 5 | 1733 | 0.99 (0.82, 1.21) | 0.207 | 32.2% | |
| Eastern Asia | Overall ERβ | 3 | 369 | 1.15 (0.77, 1.73) | 0.498 | 0% |
| Cytoplasmic ERβ | 3 | 334 | 1.27 (0.55, 2.92) | 0.572 | 80.2% | |
| Nuclear ERβ | 8 | 1148 | 1.09 (0.74, 1.60) | 0.655 | 60.1% | |
| North America | Overall ERβ | 2 | 243 | 1.05 (1.00, 1.10) | 0.039 | 23.3% |
| Cytoplasmic ERβ | 3 | 1172 | 1.56 (1.28, 1.89) | <0.001 | 0% | |
| Nuclear ERβ | 5 | 1454 | 1.15 (0.93, 1.42) | 0.679 | 0% | |
| Europe | Nuclear ERβ | 2 | 210 | 1.23 (0.70, 2.18) | 0.467 | 72.3% |
| Female | Nuclear ERβ | 4 | >239 | 1.62 (1.13, 2.32) | 0.009 | 49.6% |
| Male | Nuclear ERβ | 3 | >174 | 0.66 (0.32, 1.36) | 0.258 | 70.6% |
I2 represents the heterogeneity in each group. ERβ, estrogen receptor beta; HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval.