Prognostic impact of chemerin expression in colorectal cancer: a detailed analysis based on histological components and meta-analysis

This study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological significance of chemerin immunohistochemical expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) based on histologic components. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect chemerin in 266 human CRC tissues. Correlation between chemerin expression, clinicopathological characteristics, and survival in CRC. A meta-analysis was performed to claify the prognostic role of chemerin tissue expression in malignant tumors. Chemerin was expressed in 125 of 266 CRC tissues (47.0%) and was significantly correlated with distant metastasis (P = 0.012). However, no significant correlation was observed between chemerin expression and other clinicopathological parameters. Subgroup analyses based on histological components showed that chemerin expression was significantly higher in CRCs with the mucinous component than in those without the mucinous component (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between chemerin expression and the micropapillary component. Patients with chemerin expression had worse overall and recurrence-free survival rates (P = 0.017 and P = 0.009, respectively). The prognostic significance of chemerin was found in CRCs without the mucinous component but not in those with the mucinous component. Chemerin expression was significantly correlated with poor survival in breast and ovarian cancers in the meta-analysis. Chemerin expression significantly correlated with distant metastasis and poor survival in CRCs. The predictive role of patient prognosis is useful for CRCs, especially those with no mucinous component.