Background/aims: Immunosuppressive acidic protein has been found to suppress both phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte blast formation and mixed lymphocyte reaction in vitro. The level of immunosuppressive acidic protein has revealed clear increases with the progression of cancer, and has been reported to be a useful diagnostic and follow-up marker for ovarian and renal cancer. We examined immunosuppressive acidic protein levels in patients with gastric cancer to examine the influence of clinical parameters.
Methodology: The present study was based on a retrospective analyses of data on 107 patients with gastric cancer, all of whom had been surgically treated in the Department of Surgery II, Kyushu University Hospital from 1988 to 1992. All patients were examined for immunosuppressive acidic protein level, based on a peripheral blood sampling done preoperatively.
Results: Significant associations among immunosuppressive acidic protein level and clinicopathological parameters, including lymphatic involvement, vascular involvement, and lymph node metastases were evident. The 5-year survival rates were 75.9% and 92.1% for those with immunosuppressive acidic protein level > or = 355 and < 355, respectively, the value being statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: These data show that immunosuppressive acidic protein levels may be related to lymph node metastases. Measurement of preoperative immunosuppressive acidic protein levels may be pertinent for the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer and for follow-up clinical management.