ADIPOQ and hepatocellular carcinoma: Also, decreased circulating adiponectin level may play a role in the development of HCC and poor prognosis specially in obese HCC patients, Shams et al., (2011), found that the mean serum adiponectin level was significantly lower in HCC cases whom concluded that decreased circulating adiponectin level may play a role in the development of HCC and is a potential poor prognostic marker.