In patients with gastric cancer, sIL-2R levels were significantly inversely correlated to levels of total protein (P < 0.05, r = -0.413) (Fig. 4a), prealbumin (P < 0.0005, r = -0.784) (Fig. 4b) and retinol binding protein (P < 0.05, r = -0.495) (Fig. 4c), and to the stimulation index (P < 0.05, r = -0.512) (Fig. 4d), while significant positive correlation was found with MDSC levels (P < 0.05, r = 0.482) (Fig. 4e). Here, TTR is linked to gastric cancer.