Circulating adiponectin as a biomarker in renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

<b>Context</b>: Metabolic imbalance in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can lead to abnormal adiponectin levels. <b>Objective</b>: To evaluate circulating adiponectin as a detection or predictive marker for RCC. <b>Methods</b>: A comprehensive literature search and meta-analysis was performed on studies reporting circulating adiponectin levels and RCC. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan. <b>Results</b>: Seven studies compared the circulating adiponection levels between RCC cases and controls. Adiponectin level was significantly lower in RCC cases compared to controls at pre-diagnosis and pre-operative time-points. RCC stage, grade and subtype did not affect adiponectin levels. <b>Conclusion</b>: Low circulating adiponectin could be a predictive or risk factor for RCC.