Faber T J E, Japink D, Leers M P G, Sosef M N, von Meyenfeldt M F, Nap M
Department of General Surgery, Atrium Medical Center Parkstad, Heerlen, Netherlands.
Tumour Biol. 2012 Apr;33(2):435-41. doi: 10.1007/s13277-011-0269-z. Epub 2011 Dec 2.
The presence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-containing activated macrophages has been demonstrated in peripheral blood from patients with colorectal carcinoma. Macrophages migrate from the circulation into the tissue, phagocytose debris, and return to the bloodstream. Hence it seems likely that activated macrophages containing tumor debris, i.e., tumor marker, are present in the stroma of colorectal carcinoma. After phagocytosis, they could follow a hematogenic or lymphogenic route to the peripheral blood. The aim of this study is to assess the presence of tumor marker-containing activated macrophages in the stroma of colon carcinoma and in regional lymph nodes. From 10 cases of colon carcinoma, samples of tumor tissue and metastasis-free lymph nodes were cut in serial sections and stained for CD68 to identify macrophages and for CEA, cytokeratin, or M30 presence. Slides were digitalised and visually inspected using two monitors, comparing the CD68 stain to the tumor marker stain to evaluate the presence of tumor marker-positive macrophages. Macrophages containing tumor marker could be identified in tumor stroma and in metastasis-free regional lymph nodes. The distribution varied for the different markers, CEA-positive macrophages being most abundant. The presence of macrophages containing tumor marker in the tumor stroma and lymph nodes from patients with colon carcinoma could be confirmed in this series using serial immunohistochemistry. This finding supports the concept of activated macrophages, after phagocytosing cell debris, being transported or migrating through the lymphatic system. These results support the potential of tumor marker-containing macrophages to serve as a marker for diagnosis and follow-up of colon cancer patients.
在结直肠癌患者的外周血中已证实存在含癌胚抗原（CEA）的活化巨噬细胞。巨噬细胞从循环系统迁移至组织，吞噬碎屑，然后返回血流。因此，在结直肠癌基质中似乎很可能存在含有肿瘤碎屑（即肿瘤标志物）的活化巨噬细胞。吞噬后，它们可能通过血行或淋巴途径进入外周血。本研究的目的是评估结肠癌基质和区域淋巴结中含肿瘤标志物的活化巨噬细胞的存在情况。从10例结肠癌患者中获取肿瘤组织和无转移淋巴结样本，制成连续切片，进行CD68染色以识别巨噬细胞，并检测CEA、细胞角蛋白或M30的存在情况。将玻片数字化，并使用两台显示器进行目视检查，比较CD68染色与肿瘤标志物染色，以评估肿瘤标志物阳性巨噬细胞的存在情况。在肿瘤基质和无转移的区域淋巴结中均可识别出含肿瘤标志物的巨噬细胞。不同标志物的分布情况有所不同，其中CEA阳性巨噬细胞最为丰富。通过连续免疫组织化学方法，在本系列研究中证实了结肠癌患者肿瘤基质和淋巴结中存在含肿瘤标志物的巨噬细胞。这一发现支持了活化巨噬细胞吞噬细胞碎屑后通过淋巴系统转运或迁移的概念。这些结果支持了含肿瘤标志物的巨噬细胞作为结肠癌患者诊断和随访标志物的潜力。
