Background: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays an important role in promoting tumor survival, by manipulating the immune response and angiogenesis. However, the clinical significance of TSLP in gastric cancer is unclear.
Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate TSLP expression in non-cancerous gastric mucosa and gastric cancer tissue from patients with gastric cancer. Serum TSLP levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results: Tumors with TSLP expression were significantly larger than those without TSLP expression. TSLP expression was observed more frequently in advanced (T2/T3/T4) than in early (T1) gastric cancer and in stage 3/4 than in stage 1/2. Lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, positive peritoneal lavage cytology, lymphatic invasion, and vascular invasion occurred significantly more often in TSLP-expressing than in non-expressing tumors. The prognosis of patients with TSLP-positive tumors was significantly worse than that of patients with TSLP-negative tumors. Patients with high serum TSLP concentrations also had a significantly worse prognosis than those with low concentrations. Multivariate analysis identified serum TSLP level as an independent prognostic indicator.
Conclusion: TSLP is closely related to the progression of gastric cancer and may predict survival in these patients.
Keywords: Gastric cancer; Prognosis; TSLP; Tumor.