Serum PM20D1 levels are associated with nutritional status and inflammatory factors in gastric cancer patients undergoing early enteral nutrition

Background and objective Early nutritional support holds paramount importance for postoperative gastric cancer (GC) patients. Peptidase M20 domain containing 1 (PM20D1) is a secretory enzyme associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. However, there is a dearth of clinical studies delving into the connection between PM20D1, lipid metabolism, and inflammatory factors in GC patients who have received enteral nutrition (EN). This research aimed to investigate the serum levels of PM20D1 in GC patients following early EN and their potential associations with lipid metabolism, nutritional markers, and inflammatory factors. Methods This prospective observational study enrolled 180 GC patients between May 2020 and July 2022. On the first postoperative day, all patients received EN support, which was maintained for a duration of 5 days. Serum levels of PM20D1, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 beta, and C-reactive protein were measured on the sixth day after surgery using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data on demographics, clinical statistics, lipid metabolism, nutritional parameters, and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were collected. Patients were followed up for 12 months, and both overall survival and disease-free survival were recorded. Results In the low PNI group, the serum levels of PM20D1, albumin (ALB), and blood lymphocytes (BL) showed significant reductions. Pearson analysis revealed a negative correlation between PM20D1 and IL-6 levels, whereas a positive correlation emerged between PM20D1 and ALB and BL levels. Furthermore, PM20D1 demonstrated potential as a biomarker for diagnosing poor nutritional status (PNI < 43) in GC patients and was a risk factor for poor nutritional status in GC patients. Conclusion Serum PM20D1 remarkably declined in GC patients after early EN and was associated with poor nutritional status.