The prediction of HIF-1α, VEGF-A, CEA and CA19-9 serum levels for recurrence or metastasis in gastric cancer patients after radical surgery

HAN Ya-lin; XIAO Xiao-yi; WU Qian; CHEN Li; QIN Rui; DAI Guang-hai

Abstract：Objective: To explore the correlation among the serum concentrations of HIF-1α, VEGF-A, CEA, CA19-9, the patients' clinicopathological features, recurrence or metastasis in gastric cancer patients after curative resection. Methods: Using retrospective method, a total of 76 cases of gastric cancer patients after radical surgery from January 2010 to September 2012 in our department were extracted. The serum concentrations of HIF-1α, VEGF-A, CEA and CA19-9 were analyzed before and after adjuvant chemotherapy, at the last visit before follow-up deadline/the occurrence of recurrence or metastasis. Results: There were no signiifcant differences in the concentrations of HIF-1α, VEGF-A, CEA and CA19-9 before and after adjuvant chemotherapy in 76 patients (P>0.05). The concentrations of HIF-1αand CEA of 35 gastric cancer patients increased signiifcantly after recurrence or metastasis compared with those before adjuvant chemotherapy (P<0.05). The concentrations of HIF-1αand CEA of 35 gastric cancer patients with recurrence or metastasis was signiifcantly higer than those of 41 patients without recurrence or metastasis at the last visit before follow-up deadline (P<0.05). The subgroup analysis showed that among 31 patients with normal CEA level, serum HIF-1αlevels of with 12 patients recurrence or metastasis was signiifcantly higher than those of 19 patients without recurrence or metastasis (P=0.022). Conclusion: The serum levels of HIF-1αand CEA of gastric cancer patients increased after recurrence or metastasis. For the patients with normal CEA level, the serum level of HIF-1α increased after recurrence or metastasis, which indicated that the increase of HIF-1αwould predict the patients' recurrence or metastasis in gastric cancer.