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. 2016 Jun 30:9:3975-83.
doi: 10.2147/OTT.S103112. eCollection 2016.

High tumor-associated macrophages infiltration is associated with poor prognosis and may contribute to the phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer

Yan Yan  1 , Jia Zhang  1 , Jun-Hai Li  2 , Xu Liu  1 , Ji-Zhao Wang  1 , Hang-Ying Qu  3 , Jian-Sheng Wang  1 , Xiao-Yi Duan  4
Affiliations

High tumor-associated macrophages infiltration is associated with poor prognosis and may contribute to the phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer

Yan Yan et al. Onco Targets Ther. .

Abstract

Background: Recent studies show that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to the progression and poor prognosis of carcinoma through multiple mechanisms. Both inflammation and changing of epithelium have a close relationship with tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. However, the relevance between EMT and TAMs is still unclear in gastric cancer and needs more scientific research. This study is designed to explore the relationship between EMT and TAMs in gastric cancer.

Materials and methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of EMT-related proteins and TAM markers in cancer tissues and normal gastric tissues.

Results: High levels of EMT and TAMs infiltration are related to aggressive features and independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer, respectively. In addition, expression of the two indicators is associated with expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Infiltration of TAMs is also associated with EMT-related marker in gastric cancer.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that high levels of EMT and TAMs infiltration are related to aggressive features and independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer, respectively. A correlation was found between EMT- and TAM-related indicators, which may be associated with TGF-β signaling pathway. The level of TAMs infiltration plays an important role in gastric cancer, the markers of which can be used as prognostic indicators.

Keywords: E-cadherin; TGF-β1; gastric cancer; prognosis; tumor-associated macrophages.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immunohistochemical results of E-cadherin, TGF-β1, and CD163 in the gastric cancer and paracancer tissue. Notes: (A) Typical high expression of E-cadherin in paracancer tissue of gastric cancer. Staining was localized predominantly in the cytomembrane. (B) Typical low expression of E-cadherin in gastric cancer tissue. (C) Infrequent high expression of E-cadherin in gastric cancer tissue. (D) Low expression of CD163 in normal tissue. Staining was localized predominantly in the cytosol. (E) Low expression of CD163 in gastric cancer tissue. (F) High expression of CD163 in gastric cancer tissue. (G) Low expression of TGF-β1 in paracancer tissue. Staining was localized predominantly in the cytosol. (H) Low expression of TGF-β1 in gastric cancer. (I) High expression of TGF-β1 in gastric cancer. Magnification, 200×. Abbreviation: TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan–Meier curves for differential expression of E-cadherin, TGF-β1, and CD163 in gastric cancer. Notes: Differential expression of three indicators showed a significant difference in cumulative overall survival. (A) Patients with high expression of CD163 showed a poor overall survival (P<0.001). (B, C) Patients with high expression of TGF-β1 had a poor overall survival in high/low expression of CD163 group (P<0.001). (D, E) Patients with low expression of E-cadherin had a poor overall survival in high/low expression of CD163 group (P<0.001). Abbreviation: TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1.
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