Elevated circulating monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL-2) level may be an unfavorable predictive factor to platinum- and taxane-based combination chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer.

PURPOSE

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL-2) is a member of the CC chemokine family and a potent chemotactic factor for monocytes that regulate migration and infiltration of monocytes and macrophages. It plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple malignancies, and its expression strongly also affects the outcomes of cancer patients. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical significance of the serum levels of MCP-1/CCL-2 in gastric cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 78 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. Serum MCP-1/CCL-2 concentrations were determined by the solid-phase sandwich ELISA method. Age- and sex-matched 30 healthy controls were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis was 60 years, range 21–84 years. The baseline serum MCP-1/CCL-2 concentrations of the gastric cancer patients were significantly higher than of healthy subjects (p < 0.001). The known clinical variables including gender, age, site of lesion, histopathology, tumor size, lymph node involvement, and stage of disease were not found to be correlated with serum MCP-1/CCL-2 concentrations (p > 0.05). However, a significant relationship was shown between serum MCP-1/CCL-2 levels and response to chemotherapy (p = 0.05). Chemotherapy non-responsive patients had higher serum MCP-1/CCL-2 concentrations. Serum MCP-1/CCL-2 concentrations were not associated with prognosis on both progression-free and overall survival (p = 0.53 and p = 0.39, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Elevated circulating MCP-1/CCL-2 level may be an unfavorable predictive factor to chemotherapy based on platinum and taxane in patients with gastric cancer. However, serum MCP-1/CCL-2 concentrations were not associated with prognosis on both progression-free and overall survival.