Abstract:
Objective This study investigates the following: proportions of tumor-associated macrophage(TAM) and its subpopulations in the ascite of ovarian cancer(OC) patients and expression of mammalian homologs of the toll-like receptors(TLRs) in different TAM subpopulations.
Methods CD68+TAM expression was detected by streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemical staining.Proportions of TAM and its subpopulations were identified by flow cytometry.RNA assessment of TLR was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results Mean density of CD68+TAM was similar between OC patients and those with benign tumor(73.6 vs.50.2 per vision field, P > 0.05).CD68+ TAM in the ascite exhibited no difference between OC patients and those with benign tumor(P > 0.05).However, M1 macrophage in OC ascites was significantly less than those found in benign tumor(30.5% vs.53.3%;P < 0.01).M2 macrophage in OC ascites was significantly higher than those found in benign tumor(54.3% vs.10.1%;P < 0.05).TLR level was similar in M1 and M2 macrophages(P > 0.05).
Conclusion A mixed-phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages was found in the peritoneal environment.M2 macrophages were dominant in the ascite of OC, whereas M1 macrophages were predominant in the benign tumor.TLRs were not the key factors that affected the polarization of macrophages.