The Prognostic Role of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin and Kidney Injury Molecule-1 Expressions in Gastric Carcinomas

TL;DR

This study explores how two proteins, NGAL and KIM-1, affect survival in gastric cancer patients and suggests their potential role in future treatments.

Contribution

The study identifies NGAL and KIM-1 as potential prognostic markers and treatment targets in gastric carcinomas.

Findings

KIM-1 and NGAL expression in tumor cells was associated with shorter survival times in gastric cancer patients.

Simultaneous positivity for both proteins was more common among deceased patients.

NGAL-positive inflammatory cells were present but not significantly linked to survival.

Abstract

Background: The survival rate among stomach adenocarcinoma patients is exceedingly low. NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) has pivotal roles in cell proliferation, immunity, and tumorigenesis. KIM-1 (Kidney Injury Molecule-1), also referred to as TIM-1 and HAVcr-1, is a transmembrane glycoprotein located in healthy immune cells and epithelial cells, and its upregulated form is generally found in several human cancers. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the expression of KIM-1 and NGAL in stomach cancers and identify NGAL-positive inflammatory cells in the tumor microenvironment. Materials and Methods: We immunohistochemically evaluated the expression of NGAL and KIM1 in 172 cases of stomach adenocarcinomas. Result: The mean age of the patients was 64.07 ± 12.35 years, and the mean and median follow-up period were 25.5 and 20.3 months, respectively. The expression rates of KIM-1 and NGAL in tumor cells were identical at 31.4% (n = 54). In 27 of these cases, both proteins were present. Among the deceased patients, the rate of simultaneous KIM-1 and NGAL positivity was relatively higher (p = 0.041). NGAL-positive inflammatory cells were observed in 13.4% of cases, with no significant correlation between these cells and survival times (p = 0.497). However, there was a negative correlation between survival times and KIM-1 (p = 0.037) and NGAL (p = 0.016) expressions in tumor cells. Conclusions: The present study has shown that KIM-1- and NGAL-positive tumor cells are influential in gastric tumorigenesis. Given the progress in anti-KIM-1 therapy, the presence of KIM-1 expression could contribute to the development of new treatment options for aggressive gastric cancer. However, these discoveries need to be validated in larger-scale studies.

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