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Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have important roles in the growth, angiogenesis and progression of various tumors. Although we have demonstrated the association of an increased number of infiltrating CD204 + TAMs with poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs), the roles of TAMs in ESCC remain unclear. Here, to study the effects of TAMs on the tumor microenvironment of ESCCs, we established a co-culture assay using a human ESCC cell line and TAM-like peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages and performed a cDNA microarray analysis between monocultured and co-cultured ESCC cell lines. Our qRT-PCR confirmed that in the co-cultured ESCC cell lines, CYP1A1, DHRS3, ANXA10, KLK6 and CYP1B1 mRNA were highly up-regulated; AMTN and IGFL1 mRNA were down-regulated. We observed that the high expression of a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein ANXA10 was closely associated with the depth of invasion and high numbers of infiltrating CD68 + and CD204 + TAMs and poor disease-free survival (P = 0.0216). We also found ANXA10 promoted the cell growth of ESCC cell lines via the phosphorylation of Akt and Erk1/2 pathways in vitro. These results suggest that ANXA10 induced by the interaction with TAMs in the tumor microenvironment is associated with cell growth and poor prognosis in human ESCC tissues., (© 2019 The Authors Pathology International published by Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are involved in tumor progression and poor prognosis in several malignancies. We previously demonstrated the interaction between high numbers of infiltrating TAMs and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs). To investigate the significance of TAMs in ESCC, we conducted a cDNA microarray analysis of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMo)-derived macrophages and PBMo-derived macrophages stimulated with conditioned media of TE-series ESCC cell lines (TAM-like PBMo-derived macrophages). C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 ( CXCL8 ) was up-regulated in the TAM-like PBMo-derived macrophages. Here we confirmed a high expression level of CXCL8 in TAM-like PBMo-derived macrophages and the expression of CXCR1/2, known as CXCL8 receptors, in TE-series ESCC cell lines. Recombinant human CXCL8 induced the ESCC cell lines' migration and invasion by the phosphorylation of Akt and Erk1/2. In indirect co-cultures, not only signal pathway inhibitors but also neutralizing antibodies against CXCL8, CXCR1 and CXCR2 suppressed these phenotypes induced by TAM-like PBMo-derived macrophages. Immunohistochemical analysis of 70 resected ESCC samples showed that high expression levels of CXCL8 in ESCC tissues were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. These results suggest that CXCL8 up-regulated in the microenvironment may contribute to ESCC progression by promoting cancer cells' migration and invasion., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest.