Jianyun Sheng,1 Jieshi Wang,1 Tengda Ma,1 Peina He2 

1General Surgery Department, The First People’s Hospital of Pingdingshan, Pingdingshan, Henan Province, 467000, People’s Republic of China; 2Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan Province, 467000, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Peina He, Pingdingshan University, South Section of Future Road, Urban and Rural Integration Demonstration Zone, Pingdingshan, Henan Province, 467000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-03753383293, Email Hepeina3823@163.com

Objective: This research investigated the relationship between serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1) 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-β 1, 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-β 1 for LNM in GC patients and the relationship between serum MIC-1, VEGF, TGF-β 1 levels and prognosis were analyzed.
Results: MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β 1 were higher in GC. Serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β 1 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-β 1 levels were risk factors for LNM in GC patients. The ROC results indicated that the combination of serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β 1 had the highest AUC for predicting LNM in GV patients. The median survival time of patients with low serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β 1 was higher than that of patients with high serum MIC-1, VEGF, and TGF-β 1 (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-β 1 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.

Keywords: gastric cancer, macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor-β 1, lymph node metastasis, clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis