[HTML][HTML] Increased density of tumor-associated macrophages is associated with decreased survival in advanced thyroid cancer

M Ryder, RA Ghossein… - Endocrine-related …, 2008 - erc.bioscientifica.com
M Ryder, RA Ghossein, JCM Ricarte-Filho, JA Knauf, JA Fagin
Endocrine-related cancer, 2008erc.bioscientifica.com
Thyroid cancers are infiltrated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), yet their role in
cancer progression is not known. The objectives of this study were to characterize the
density of TAMs in well-differentiated (WDTC), poorly differentiated (PDTC), and anaplastic
thyroid cancers (ATC) and to correlate TAM density with clinicopathologic parameters.
Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarray sections from WDTC (n= 33),
PDTC (n= 37), and ATC (n= 20) using macrophage-specific markers. Electronic medical …
Thyroid cancers are infiltrated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), yet their role in cancer progression is not known. The objectives of this study were to characterize the density of TAMs in well-differentiated (WDTC), poorly differentiated (PDTC), and anaplastic thyroid cancers (ATC) and to correlate TAM density with clinicopathologic parameters. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarray sections from WDTC ( n =33), PDTC ( n =37), and ATC ( n =20) using macrophage-specific markers. Electronic medical records were used to gather clinical and pathologic data. Follow-up information of PDTC patients was available for 0–12 years. In total, 9 out of 33 WDTC (27%), 20 out of 37 PDTC (54%), and 19 out of 20 ATC (95%) had an increased density of CD68 + TAMs (≥10 per 0.28 mm 2 ; WDTC versus PDTC, P =0.03; WDTC versus ATC, P <0.0001; PDTC versus ATC, P <0.002). Increased TAMs in PDTC was associated with capsular invasion ( P =0.034), extrathyroidal extension ( P =0.009), and decreased cancer-related survival ( P =0.009) compared with PDTC with a low density of TAMs. In conclusion, the density of TAMs is increased in advanced thyroid cancers. The presence of a high density of TAMs in PDTC correlates with invasion and decreased cancer-related survival. These results suggest that TAMs may facilitate tumor progression. As novel therapies directed against thyroid tumor cell-specific targets are being tested, the potential role of TAMs as potential modulators of the thyroid cancer behavior will need to be considered.
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