RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Many studies have indicated that leptin is correlated with breast cancer occurrence and tumor behavior. However, this issue remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted an updated meta-analysis to investigate the role of leptin in breast cancer. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search and identified relevant papers up to 1 September 2017. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate effect sizes. RESULTS: Thirty-five eligible studies were included in the current meta-analysis. Serum leptin levels were related to breast cancer risk as demonstrated by calculations of the overall SMDâ=â0.46 (95% CIâ=â0.31-0.60, Iâ=â93.5%). A subgroup analysis of BMI identified an association between breast cancer and serum leptin levels in patients who are overweight and obese (overweight: SMDâ=â0.35, 95% CIâ=â0.13-0.57, Iâ=â88.1%; obesity: SMDâ=â1.38, 95% CIâ=â0.64-2.12, Iâ=â89.6%). Additionally, menopausal status subgroup analysis revealed a significant association in postmenopausal women (SMDâ=â0.26, 95% CIâ=â0.12-0.40, Iâ=â77.9%). Furthermore, we identified a significant association between breast cancer and serum leptin levels in Chinese women (SMDâ=â0.61, 95% CIâ=â0.44-0.79, Iâ=â40.6%). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggested that leptin could be a potential biomarker for breast cancer risk in women, especially overweight/obese or postmenopausal women. Therefore, it may be useful for identifying subjects with a high risk for breast cancer who may benefit from preventive treatments.