Serum macrophage migration-inhibitory factor as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to determine the potential diagnostic value of migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) for gastric cancer in patients presenting with dyspepsia and its prognostic value for gastric cancer.


METHODS
A cohort of 97 patients with histologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma and 222 patients with dyspepsia were recruited. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum MIF and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).


RESULTS
The serum MIF concentrations were 6554.0 +/- 204.1 pg/mL and 1453.7 +/- 79.9 pg/mL, respectively, in gastric cancer patients and dyspeptic patients (P < .001). Serum MIF levels increased with the advancing gastric pathologies (P < .001). With the cutoff value of 3230 pg/mL, serum MIF had sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.5%, 92.3%, and 89.7%, respectively, in diagnosing gastric cancer, whereas the rates were 60.8%, 83.3%, and 76.5%, respectively, for serum CEA. Gastric cancer patients with serum MIF levels above 6600 pg/mL had a lower 5-year survival rate than those with serum MIF level below that level (P = .012). Higher serum CEA levels were also associated with poor survival. The prediction for 5-year survival was even better (P = .0001), using a combination of serum MIF and CEA.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum MIF level, which correlates with gastric MIF expression, is a better molecular marker than CEA in diagnosing gastric cancer in patients presenting with dyspepsia. A combination of serum MIF and CEA predicts 5-year survival better than the individual test.
Xia
Harry Hua-Xiang
HH
Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Yang
Yi
Y
Chu
Kent-Man
KM
Gu
Qing
Q
Zhang
Yuan-Yuan
YY
He
Hua
H
Wong
Wai Man
WM
Leung
Suet-Yi
SY
Yuen
Siu-Tsan
ST
Yuen
Man-Fung
MF
Chan
Annie O O
AO
Wong
Benjamin C Y
BC
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors