Macrophage migration inhibitory factor and long-term survival in gastric cancer

e15525 Background: Our study aimed to evaluate whether pretherapeutic serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an independent factor predicting long-term survival in gastric cancer. Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, but no satisfactory tumor marker exists. We recently found serum MIF expression was progressively increased in gastric cancer. Methods: One hundred five patients, 73 men and 32 women, mean (±SD) age 63±14 years, with histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma were included in the study. Pretherapeutic serum was collected and MIF assayed using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: Ninety-three percent of patients received curative surgery. Mean follow up was 53.5±28.3 months, and five-year survival was 65.3 percent. The mean pretherapeutic level of MIF was 72.9ng/ml (range, 2.6 to 852.1). There were no significant correlations between serum MIF level and histopathological findings (Wilcoxon test). Mea...