Plasma MIC-1 correlates with systemic inflammation but is not an independent determinant of nutritional status or survival in oesophago-gastric cancer

Abstract

Background:

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).

Methods:

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.

Results:

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.

Conclusions:

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