There have been inconsistent reports that Metrnl-like protein, a new adipokine, is associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD). A systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google scholar databases were conducted up until 24 November 2020. Ten eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. The overall results showed that there was no significant association between serum Metrnl levels and risk of T2DM and CAD in patients compared with healthy control (SMD= -0.717 and 95%CI -1.572_0.139, p = .1). However, in subgroup analysis, there was a significant association between a BMI ≥ 25 and the serum level of Metrnl-like protein (SMD= -0.688 and 95%CI -1.348_-0.028 p = .041), indicating a potential inverse connection between serum Metrnl and the adiposity. Further well-designed studies are needed to explain the more subtle roles of Metrnl in metabolic disorders like T2DM and CAD.
Keywords: Metrnl; adipokines; coronary artery disease; overweight; type2 diabetes mellitus.