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

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.

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.

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).

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.