Serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 as a clinical marker for non-small cell lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate the value of serum macrophage inhibitory factor-1 (MIC-1) level in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Serum samples from 296 patients with NSCLC and 240 healthy controls were collected. The levels of serum MIC-1 were determined by ELISA. The serum MIC-1 levels in NSCLC patients were higher than that of the controls (P <.001). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that serum MIC-1 was an independent prognostic indicator of OS and PFS. Serum MIC-1 is a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC.