title: Upregulation and secretion of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in gastric cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), a distant member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, has been reported to be upregulated and secreted from several cancers. We examined MIC-1 expression and secretion in gastric cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  MIC-1 mRNA and protein levels in cancer tissues and cell lines were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot. MIC-1 expression in cancer tissues and its secretion in serum were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MIC-1 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. MIC-1 was secreted from gastric SNU620 cells and its levels in the serum of cancer patients were 10-fold higher than those of healthy controls. In addition, the staining of MIC-1 expression was strongly increased in metastatic gastric cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MIC-1 was obviously overexpressed in gastric cancers and MIC-1 secretion into blood may be useful for the prediction of gastric cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Eun
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Suk Ran
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jong-Tae
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Young
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jong-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Inpyo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Myoung Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Michung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Hee Gu
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15