Association of the infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages, expression of Smad7 protein and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Publication date: Available online 7 July 2018

Source: Archives of Oral Biology

Author(s): wei Wei, Chen Hujie

Abstract

Objective

To explore the association between Smad7 expression and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM), and their relationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

This study collected cancer tissues from 314 OSCC patients from May 2002 to May 2012 at our hospital. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to detect the density of CD68⁺ cells and Smad7.

Results

The densities of CD68TF_Mean and CD68TF_Hotspot shared a significant negative correlation with the immunoscore (IS) of Smad7, indicated that Smad7 was evidently increased with the decrease densities of CD68TF_Mean and CD68TF_Hotspot in OSCC tissues. Besides, low differentiation degree together with high TNM, T and N stage of OSCC patients presented decreased densities of CD68TF_Mean and CD68TF_Hotspot but increased expression of Smad7. Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis showed that the prognosis of OSCC patients was associated with differentiation degree, clinical stages, Smad7 expression, as well as densities of CD68TF_Mean and CD68TF_Hotspot. Cox regression analysis results demonstrated that N staging, the densities of CD68TF_Mean and CD68TF_Hotspot and Smad7 expression were independent risk factors influencing the survival rate of OSCC patients.

Conclusion

Decreased densities of CD68TF_Mean and CD68TF_Hotspot were negatively correlated with the increased Smad7 expression in OSCC tissues, both of which linked to clinicopathological features and prognosis of OSCC.

https://ift.tt/2lXace2