Macrophage inhibitory cytokine−1(MIC−1) is a potential modulator of systemic inflammation and nutritional depletion, both of which are adverse prognostic factors in oesophago−gastric cancer (OGC).

Plasma MIC−1, systemic inflammation (defined as plasma C−reactive protein (CRP) of >/=10 mg l(−1) or modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) of >/=1), and nutritional status were assessed in newly diagnosed OGC patients (n=293). Healthy volunteers (n=35) served as controls.

MIC−1 was elevated in patients (median=1371 pg ml(−1); range 141−39 053) when compared with controls (median=377 pg ml(−1); range 141−3786; P<0.001). Patients with gastric tumours (median=1592 pg ml(−1); range 141−12 643) showed higher MIC−1 concentrations than patients with junctional (median=1337 pg ml(−1); range 383−39 053) and oesophageal tumours (median=1180 pg ml(−1); range 258−31 184; P=0.015). Patients showed a median weight loss of 6.4% (range 0.0−33.4%), and 42% of patients had an mGPS of >/=1 or plasma CRP of >/=10 mg l(−1) (median=9 mg l(−1); range 1−200). MIC−1 correlated positively with disease stage (r(2)=0.217; P<0.001), age (r(2)=0.332; P<0.001), CRP (r(2)=0.314; P<0.001), and mGPS (r(2)=0.336; P<0.001), and negatively with Karnofsky Performance Score (r(2)=−0.269; P<0.001). However, although MIC−1 correlated weakly with dietary intake (r(2)=0.157; P=0.031), it did not correlate with weight loss, BMI, or anthropometry. Patients with MIC−1 levels in the upper quartile showed reduced survival (median=204 days; 95% CI 157−251) when compared with patients with MIC−1 levels in the lower three quartiles (median=316 days; 95% CI 259−373; P=0.036), but MIC−1 was not an independent prognostic indicator.

There is no independent link between plasma MIC−1 levels and depleted nutritional status or survival in OGC.

PMID: 20104227 [PubMed − in process] Source: National Library of Medicine.