Diagnostic value of macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 as a novel prognostic biomarkers for early gastric cancer screening

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis is very important to improve the survival rate of patients with gastric cancer (GC), especially in asymptomatic participants. However, low sensitivity of common biomarkers has caused difficulties in early screening of GC. In this study, we explored whether MIC‐1 can improve the detection rate of early GC. METHODS: We screened 8257 participants based on risk factors such as age, gender, and family history for physical examination including gastroscopy. Participant blood samples were taken for measure MIC‐1, CA‐199, CA72‐4, and PG1/PG2 levels. The diagnostic performance of MIC‐1 was assessed and compared with CA‐199, CA72‐4, and PG1/PG2, and its role in early GC diagnosis and the assessment of the risk of precancerous lesions have also been studied. RESULTS: Based on endoscopic and histopathological findings, 55 participants had GC, 566 participants had low‐grade neoplasia, and 2605 participants had chronic gastritis. MIC‐1 levels were significantly elevated in GC serum samples as compared to controls (P < .001). The sensitivity of serum MIC‐1 for GC diagnosis was much higher than that of CA‐199 (49.1% vs 20.0%) with similar specificities. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis also showed that serum MIC‐1 had a better performance compared with CA‐199, CA72‐4, and PG1/PG2 in distinguishing early‐stage GC (AUC: 72.9% vs 69.5%, 67.5%, 44.0%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Serum MIC‐1 is significantly elevated in most patients with early GC. MIC‐1 can serve as a novel diagnostic marker of early GC and value the risk of GC.