Association of serum leptin with breast cancer; A meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that leptin is associated to the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer (BC). However, these studies remain inconsistent. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the role of leptin in the patients with BC. Method: A systematic search in PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases was conducted up to September 1, 2017. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied to pool the effect size. A funnel plot and Egger test were used to evaluate publication bias. Results: Finally, 43 eligible studies were included in the current meta-analysis. Overall, serum leptin levels in BC cases were significantly higher compared with the controls (SMD = 0.61, P 25 indicated significantly higher serum leptin levels (SMD = 1.48, P = .034). Furthermore, the BC cases with lymph node metastases showed significantly higher serum leptin concentration (SMD = 0.53, P=.015). Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggests that the serum leptin may profiles as a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of BC. In addition, leptin will provide useful information for a therapeutic target to treat BC. Abbreviations: BC = breast cancer, CI = confidence interval, ELISA = enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ER = estrogen receptor, FEM = fixed-effects model, LN = lymph node invasion, PR = progesterone receptor, REM = random-effects model, RIA = radioimmunoassay, SMD = standardized mean difference.