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Objective: The aim of the present study was to correlate the level of tumor-infiltrating immune cells with bladder cancer size and T category in patients with solitary low-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)., Patients and Methods: Between 1996 and 2006, 115 patients with solitary low-grade NMIBC after transurethral resection of the bladder without adjuvant therapy were retrospectively identified from the institutional database. Tumor specimens were retrieved and tissue microarrays were constructed. Immunhistochemical staining for tumor-infiltrating immune cells with anti-CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD56, CD68, and granzyme B (Gr B) was performed., Results: Immune cells were predominantly observed within the cancer stroma. Statistically significant higher levels of CD56 cells in small tumors and CD68 cells in T1 tumors (p = 0.0310, 0.0151, respectively) were established., Conclusion: The current study propose a possible correlation of CD56+ and CD68+ cells with bladder cancer size and stage in patients with solitary low-grade NMIBC.

Purpose and Method: Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine involved in the macrophage infiltration of tumor tissue. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a population of mononuclear phagocytic cells that can have a complex function in tumor biology. The aim of this study was to determine the possible correlation between parenchymal MCP-1 expression and TAM level by immunohistochemical analysis of 97 invasive ductal breast carcinomas, not otherwise specified (NOS), and to investigate their relation with tumor size, histological grade, mitotic activity index (MAI) and lymph node status. Secondly, the MCP-1 mRNA was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in eight samples of normal breast tissue and 27 samples of invasive breast carcinomas and compared with TAMs., Results: MCP-1 immunoreactivity was present in tumor cells (17/97), but also in TAMs, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The statistical analysis did not show a significant correlation between MCP-1 expression in tumoral epithelium and tumor size, histological grade, MAI, lymph node status or TAMs. The results of RT-PCR showed that, in all cases of breast carcinomas (27/27) and the majority of normal breast tissues (7/8), the number of detected MCP-1 cDNA copies was above the detection limit. However, carcinomas showed higher levels of MCP-1 mRNA than normal breast tissue. Nevertheless, the statistical analysis did not find a significant correlation between MCP-1 expression and macrophage infiltrations., Conclusion: These results indicate that MCP-1 is probably not the only and/or crucial factor involved in macrophage attraction to tumor locus in breast carcinoma.

Angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors, secreted by tumor, inflammatory, and stromal cells play an important role in regulation of neovascularization. Among the most important of these is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a specific mitogen for endothelium, which increases vascular permeability and induces proteolytic enzymes necessary for vascular remodeling. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) can express complex functions related to tumor biology, including growth, proliferative rate, stroma formation and dissolution, and neovascularization. The aim of this study was to define, using immunohistochemical analysis, the microvessel density (MVD), VEGF expression, and TAMs level in 97 human invasive ductal breast carcinomas not otherwise specified (NOS), investigate a possible relationship between them and then correlate their values with tumor grade, mitotic activity index (MAI), tumor size and lymph-node status. Statistical analysis showed a strong positive relationship between MVD and VEGF expression ( P<0.001). Furthermore, both MVD and VEGF expression were significantly correlated with tumor grade and lymph-node status, and TAMs infiltration with MAI. TAM level showed a significant positive connection with VEGF expression and MVD. These in situ observations suggest that VEGF stimulates angiogenesis in human invasive ductal breast carcinoma NOS and attracts macrophages to the tumor locus, which then may be involved in angiogenesis promotion. The expression of this angiogenic molecule, and MVD and TAM level, can provide additional prognostic significance and help in the identification of patients who need postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Neovascularization, the growth and formation of capillary blood vessels, is an essential component of solid tumor growth and a critical step in metastasis. Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) have several functions related to tumor biology including growth, proliferative rate, stroma formation and dissolution, and neovascularization. The aim of this study was to define the TAM and microvessel density (MD) in human invasive breast carcinoma NOS and to correlate their values with lymph node status, tumor size, tumor grade and mitotic activity index (MAI), and, finally, to determine whether MD is connected with TAMs. A total number of 57 invasive breast carcinomas NOS were processed for immunohistochemical analysis using mAb to F-VIII to visualize endothelial cells and mAb to CD68 antigens for macrophages. Statistical analysis showed only a positive correlation between TAMs and MAI (p = 0.004). These results support the notion that intensity of tumor angiogenesis does not provide additional prognostic significance, while TAMs may play a positive role in breast cancer micro system since they regulate tumor proliferation.