Relationship Between MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 and Clinicopathologic Stage and Lymph Node Metastasis in Gastric Cancer.

Objective: This research investigated the relationship between serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) levels and clinicopathologic features, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) patients.

Methods: The GC group (GC patients, 198 cases)) and healthy group (healthy people, 100 cases) were established. The relationship between serum MIC-1, VEGF, TGF-β1, and clinical and pathological features in GC patients was analyzed. GC patients were divided into a metastasis group (77 patients) and a non-metastasis group (121 patients) based on whether they had LNM. The factors influencing LNM in GC patients were identified. The predictive value of serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 for LNM in GC patients and the relationship between serum MIC-1, VEGF, TGF-β1 levels and prognosis were analyzed.

Results: MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 were higher in GC. Serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 levels were higher in GC patients with tumor diameter ≥ 3 cm, T stage of T3 and T4, low/moderate differentiation, and LNM. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that TNM stage, tumor differentiation, and serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 levels were risk factors for LNM in GC patients. The ROC results indicated that the combination of serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 had the highest AUC for predicting LNM in GV patients. The median survival time of patients with low serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 was higher than that of patients with high serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 (26.13 months vs 19.24 months, 27.06 months vs 20.18 months, and 24.20 months vs 20.08 months).

Conclusion: The changes of serum MIC-1, VEGF and TGF-β1 levels are related to the clinicopathological characteristics of GC patients, and the elevated levels of these indices are independent risk factors affecting LNM and prognosis of GC patients.