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Tumor-associated macrophages and crown-like structures in adipose tissue in breast cancer

  • Preclinical study
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate macrophage infiltration and to identify the status of crown-like structures (CLSs) in mammary adipose tissue of human breast tissue in cases with and without breast cancer.

Methods

Breast adipose tissue was obtained from reduction mammoplasty (N = 56, Group 1), non-neoplastic breast tissue of breast cancer patients (N = 84, Group 2), and breast cancer with adipose stroma (N = 140, Group 3). Immunohistochemical staining of CD68 and CD163 was performed, and the infiltrating macrophages and CLSs within breast adipose tissue were evaluated.

Results

Group 3 had the largest number of CD68-positive (CD68+) and CD163-positive (CD163+) macrophages and CLSs within adipose tissue (P < 0.001). Among Group 3, cases with high levels of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages commonly had a higher histologic grade (P = 0.016 and P = 0.045), and cases with CD163+ CLSs were correlated with old age (P = 0.042), estrogen receptor negativity (P = 0.013), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positivity (P = 0.043), and non-luminal A type (P = 0.039). Upon univariate analysis, high levels of CD163+ macrophages were associated with shorter disease-free survival in node-negative breast cancer patients (P = 0.033), and CD68+ CLSs were associated with shorter overall survival in node-positive breast cancer patients (P = 0.015).

Conclusions

CD68+ and/or CD163+ tumor-associated macrophage infiltration as well as CLSs are present in adipose tissue nearby the breast cancer lesion, and are associated with various clinicopathologic parameters of breast cancer.

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Abbreviations

TME:

Tumor microenvironment

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

TAM:

Tumor-associated macrophages

CLS:

Crown-like structures

BMI:

Body Mass Index

DFS:

Disease-free survival

OS:

Overall survival

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Funding

This study was supported by a faculty research grant from Yonsei University College of Medicine for 2013 (6-2016-0163).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, South Korea

    Yoon Jin Cha, Eun-Sol Kim & Ja Seung Koo

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  1. Yoon Jin Cha
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  2. Eun-Sol Kim
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  3. Ja Seung Koo
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Contributions

Conception and design: JSK. Administrative support: JSK. Collection and assembly of data: All authors. Data analysis and interpretation: All authors. Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content: YJC and JSK. Final approval of the manuscript: All authors

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Correspondence to Ja Seung Koo.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Cha, Y.J., Kim, ES. & Koo, J.S. Tumor-associated macrophages and crown-like structures in adipose tissue in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 170, 15–25 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-4722-1

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