Objective  To investigate the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in cardiac carcinoma and its correlation with clinicopathologic features and prognosis.

Methods  The paraffin specimens from 73 patients with cardiac carcinoma who underwent thoracotomy were collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University from 2008-01-03 to 2009-12-31. The expressions of MIF in 73 specimens of cardiac carcinoma were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Based on the levels of MIF immunoreactivities, the 73 specimens were divided into high MIF expression group and low MIF expression group, and the correlations of MIF expression with clinicopathologic features was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the survival between high MIF expression group and low MIF expression group. The correlations of MIF expression with clinicopathologic features and the prognosis of cardiac carcinoma patients were analyzed by Cox regression model.

Results  The high MIF expression rate was 57.5%. There was no significant correlation between the levels of MIF expression and age, gender, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, TNM stages(P>0.05). However, the high MIF expression was strongly correlated with the depth of invasion(P=0.025). The survival rates were significantly different between the two groups(P=0.001). The multivariate Cox regression model analysis showed that lymph node metastasis(P=0.025) and the levels of MIF expression(P=0.001) were the independent prognostic risk factors for cardiac carcinoma.

Conclusion  The abnormal of MIF expression in cardiac carci noma may play an important role in tumor infiltration and prognosis. MIF could be a valuable prognostic factor for the patients with cardiac carcinoma.