Serum adiponectin levels are inversely correlated with leukemia: A meta-analysis

Object: This study is aimed at exploring the correlation between serum adiponectin (ADPN) levels and leukemia. Materials and Methods: Eligible studies were retrieved using both computerized and manual searches. Relevant case-control studies were enrolled in strict accordance to our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Result: We searched 130 published studies and included 11 eligible studies for our meta-analysis according to our rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected studies included 637 leukemia patients and 524 healthy controls. Our meta-analysis showed: (1) Serum ADPN levels of patients with leukemia were lower than healthy controls; (2) a subgroup analysis based on sample size verified that serum ADPN levels in patients with leukemia were significantly lower than that in healthy controls irrespective of a large sample size (n >= 80) or a small sample size (n 80). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that serum ADPN levels may be inversely correlated with leukemia, and ADPN levels can be used as an effective biologic marker in early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of leukemia.