The association between cystatin C and COPD: a meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND: In recent years, many studies have discovered that cystatin C (Cys C) may play an important role in respiratory diseases, especially in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the findings of these studies were inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the relationship between serum Cys C and COPD. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang databases, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The standardized mean difference (SMD), Fisher’s Z-value and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to investigate the effect sizes. Subgroup analyses were performed on disease status, ethnicity, assay method, and study design. Sensitivity was performed, and publication bias was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies, including 4079 COPD patients and 5949 controls, were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that serum Cys C levels in patients with COPD were significantly higher than those in controls (SMD = 0.99, 95% CI =0.62–1.37, P < 0.001), especially in AECOPD (SMD = 1.59, 95% CI =1.05–2.13, P < 0.001), and there were statistically different among AECOPD and SCOPD (SMD = 0.35, 95% CI =0.10–0.59, P = 0.005). The serum Cys C levels were negatively correlated with FEV1%pre (Z = − 0.45, 95%CI = -0.58--0.32, P = 0.011) and FEV1/FVC (Z = − 0.32, 95%CI = -0.50--0.14, P = 0.006). The serum Cys C levels were independent of ethnicity, assay method, and study design. CONCLUSION: Serum Cys C levels were associated with COPD and COPD exacerbation, and they were inversely correlated with FEV1%pre and FEV1/FVC.