The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic value of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) with a possible M2-type macrophage phenotype (CD163+) in women with breast cancer.
M2-type macrophages in tumour microenvironment as prognostic markers in women with breast cancer
Luciana V Q Labre1, Vera A Saddi2,3,4, Megmar A S Carneiro1, Aline C Batista5, Diego A C Arantes5, Jessica E P Ramos2,3,4, Erika C Aquino1, Silvia H Rabelo-Santos1,6
1-Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
2-Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil 3-Laboratório de Diversidade Genética, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
4-Laboratório de Oncogenética e Radiobiologia, Hospital Araújo Jorge, Associação de Combate ao Câncer em Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
5-Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
6-Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic value of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) with a possible M2-type macrophage phenotype (CD163+) in women with breast cancer. Cases selected among the records of anatomopathological examinations carried out at a reference center for cancer treatment. Inclusion of confirmed cases of invasive ductal carcinoma with clinical follow-up for 5 years. The laminas were subjected to immunihistochemical analysis with monoclonal antibody TAMs like M2-type (CD163). For the statistical analyses, the cases were classified according to the mean value of cell tagging as low infiltration or high infiltration. High levels of TAMs (CD163+) were significantly correlated with distant metastases, lack of receptors estrogen (ER) or progesterone receptors (PR) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A high number of CD163+ cells was a strong independent prognostic factor. High infiltration of CD163+ emerged as a strong independent prognostic factor. Additional markers able to identify patients with more aggressive types of breast cancer may help predict a poorer prognosis.
Keywords: breast cancer, macrophages, biomarkers, CD163