Circulating chemerin level and risk of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Circulating chemerin level has been reported to be higher in patients with various types of cancer. However, the conclusions obtained are not unified. The aim of present study is to draw an evidence-based conclusion on the relationship between circulating chemerin and risk of cancer. A systematic search was carried out in PubMed and Web of Science up to 30 June 2019. The random-effects model was applied to calculate summary standardized mean differences with 95% CIs. The meta-analysis included a total of 12 separate studies, 876 cases and 739 healthy controls. The results showed that the expression level of circulating chemerin was significantly higher in cancer patients than that in control group (pooled standardized mean difference = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.03–1.90). This meta-analysis concludes that a high level of circulating chemerin is strongly associated with cancer risk.