J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc.  2005 Sep;5(3):206-212.

Correlation between Infiltrations of Tumor-associated Macrophages, Mast Cells, and Dendritic Cells with Clinicopathologic Factors in Advanced Gastric Cancer

• Lee SB
• Chi KC

Abstract

PURPOSE
Angiogenesis has a critical role in tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. In gastric cancer, tumor- associated macrophages and mast cells produce angiogenic factors such as VEGF, that inhibit the functional maturation of dendritic cells. The aim of this study is to identify tumor-associated macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cell infiltrations, and microvessel densities (MVD) to investigate the relationship between them and the prognosis for gastric-cancer patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The subjects were 79 patients selected from those who had undergone a curative gastric resection for stomach cancer. With them, Immuno-histochemical staining was done using CD34 for the MVD, CD68 antigen for macrophages, and S-100 protein for dendritic cells, and toluidine blue staining was done for mast cells.
RESULTS
Macrophage infiltration showed a statistically significant positive correlation with histologic differentiation and a negative correlation with invasion depth, nodal metastasis, and stage. S-100 (+) dendritic cells and mast cells had no significant correlations with histologic differentiation, invasion depth, nodal metastasis, distant metastasis, stage, and MVD. As survival, no statistically significant differences were seen between the variables.
CONCLUSION
Tumor-associated macrophages should be evaluated as possible prognostic markers in gastric-cancer patients.

Keyword

Gastric cancer; Macrophage; Mast cell; Dendritic cell

MeSH Terms

Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
Dendritic Cells*
Humans
Macrophages*
Mast Cells*
Microvessels
Neoplasm Metastasis
Prognosis
S100 Proteins
Stomach Neoplasms*
Tolonium Chloride
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
S100 Proteins
Tolonium Chloride
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A