Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2023; 29(27): 4271-4288
Published online Jul 21, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i27.4271
Serum resistin and the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in diabetic patients
Mona Mohamed Ibrahim Abdalla
Mona Mohamed Ibrahim Abdalla, Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Author contributions: Abdalla MMI collected the data and wrote the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares no conflict of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mona Mohamed Ibrahim Abdalla, MSc, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine, International Medical University, No. 126, Jln Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. monamohamed@imu.edu.my
Received: April 26, 2023
Peer-review started: April 26, 2023
First decision: May 27, 2023
Revised: June 11, 2023
Accepted: June 27, 2023
Article in press: June 27, 2023
Published online: July 21, 2023
Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the predominant type of liver cancer, is a major contributor to cancer-related fatalities across the globe. Diabetes has been identified as a significant risk factor for HCC, with recent research indicating that the hormone resistin could be involved in the onset and advancement of HCC in diabetic individuals. Resistin is a hormone that is known to be involved in inflammation and insulin resistance. Patients with HCC have been observed to exhibit increased resistin levels, which could be correlated with more severe disease stages and unfavourable prognoses. Nevertheless, the exact processes through which resistin influences the development and progression of HCC in diabetic patients remain unclear. This article aims to examine the existing literature on the possible use of resistin levels as a biomarker for HCC development and monitoring. Furthermore, it reviews the possible pathways of HCC initiation due to elevated resistin and offers new perspectives on comprehending the fundamental mechanisms of HCC in diabetic patients. Gaining a better understanding of these processes may yield valuable insights into HCC’s development and progression, as well as identify possible avenues for prevention and therapy.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Resistin, Insulin resistance, Obesity, Diabetes, Liver cancer

Core Tip: Resistin, a hormone linked to the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes, could be involved in the development and advancement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in individuals with diabetes. Increased resistin levels have been observed in HCC patients and might be connected to a more severe disease stage and unfavourable prognosis. This review aims to assess the existing literature concerning the possible application of resistin as a biomarker for HCC development and monitoring while investigating the potential processes through which resistin influences HCC’s development and progression in diabetic patients. Gaining a better understanding of these processes may offer valuable insights for the prevention and therapy of this condition.