Background: Although previous studies have demonstrated that irisin plays an anti-inflammatory role in the body, conflicting results have been reported regarding the correlation between serum levels of irisin and C-reactive protein (CRP). The present meta-analysis was conducted to further investigate the correlation between irisin and CRP levels.
Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, SCOPUS, and Ovid to retrieve studies assessing the correlation between irisin and CRP levels. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model, and the I² index was used to evaluate heterogeneity.
Results: Of the 428 studies that were initially found, 14 studies with 2,530 participants met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size was calculated as 0.052 (95% confidence interval, -0.047 to 0.152; P=0.302). Subgroup analyses identified s ignificant, positive, but weak correlations between CRP and irisin levels in cohort studies, studies conducted among healthy participants, studies in which the male-to-female ratio was less than 1, in overweight or obese subjects, and in studies with a sample size of at least 100 participants.
Conclusion: The present meta-analysis found no overall significant correlation between irisin and CRP levels, although a significant positive correlation was found in overweight or obese subjects. Well-designed studies are needed to verify the results of the present meta-analysis.
Keywords: C-reactive protein; FNDC5 protein; Irisin; Meta-analysis; Systematic review.
Copyright © 2019 Korean Endocrine Society.