The inflammatory microenvironment in colorectal neoplasia

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

TGF-beta receptor 2 downregulation in tumour-associated stroma worsens prognosis and high-grade tumours show more tumour-associated macrophages and lower TGF-beta1 expression in colon carcinoma: a retrospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Histological phenotype and clinical behaviour of malignant tumours are not only dependent on alterations in the epithelial cell compartment, but are affected by their interaction with inflammatory cells and tumour-associated stroma. Studies in animal models have shown influence of tumour-associated macrophages (TAM) on histological grade of differentiation in colon carcinoma. Disruption of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signalling in tumour cells is related to more aggressive clinical behaviour. Expression data of components of this pathway in tumour-associated stroma is limited.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Tissue micro arrays of 310 colon carcinomas from curatively resected patients in UICC stage II and III were established. In a first step we quantified amount of CD68 positive TAMs and expression of components of TGF-beta signalling (TGF-beta1, TGF-beta receptors type 1 and 2, Smad 3 and 4) in tumour and associated stroma. Further we analyzed correlation to histological and clinical parameters (histological grade of differentiation (low-grade (i.e. grade 1 and 2) vs. high-grade (i.e. grade 3 and 4)), lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, 5 year cancer related survival) using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test, when appropriate, to compare frequencies, Kaplan-Meier method to calculate 5-year rates of distant metastases and cancer-related survival and log rank test to compare the rates of distant metastases and survival. To identify independent prognostic factors Cox regression analysis including lymph node status and grading was performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>High-grade tumours and those with lymph node metastases showed higher rates of TAMs and lower expression of TGF-beta1. Loss of nuclear Smad4 expression in tumor was associated with presence of lymph node metastasis, but no influence on prognosis could be demonstrated. Decrease of both TGF-beta receptors in tumour-associated stroma was associated with increased lymph node metastasis and shorter survival. Stromal TGF-beta receptor 2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for cancer related survival.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Histological phenotype and clinical behaviour of colon cancer is not only influenced by mutational incidents in tumour cells but also affected by interaction of tumour tissue with inflammatory cells like macrophages and associated stroma and TGF-beta signalling is one important part of this crosstalk. Further studies are needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms.</p

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor activates the transcription of nuclear factor kappa B and induces the expression of nitric oxide synthase in a skin dendritic cell line

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by skin dendritic cells and keratinocytes plays an important role in skin physiology, growth and remodelling. Nitric oxide is also involved in skin inflammatory processes and in modulating antigen presentation (either enhancing or suppressing it). In this study, we found that GM-CSF stimulates the expression of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a fetal-skin-derived dendritic cell line (FSDC) and, consequently, increases the nitrite production from 11.9 ± 3.2 03BCmol/L (basal level) to 26.9 ± 4.2 03BCmol/L. Pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) inhibits nitrite production, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 19.3 03BCmol/L and the iNOS protein expression in FSDC. In addition, western blot assays revealed that exposure of FSDC to GM-CSF induces the phosphorylation and degradation of the inhibitor of NF-03BAB (IkB), with subsequent translocation of the p50, p52 and RelB subunits of the transcription nuclear factor kappa B (NF-03BAB) from the cytosol to the nucleus. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed that FSDC exposure to GM-CSF activates the transcription factor NF-03BAB. Together, these results show that GM-CSF induces iNOS expression in skin dendritic cells by a mechanism involving activation of the NF-03BAB pathway

Differential Reactions of Microglia to Brain Metastasis of Lung Cancer

The brain is a common metastatic site for various types of cancers, especially lung cancer. Patients with brain metastases have a poor prognosis in spite of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. It is postulated that immune cells in the brain may play a major role in cancer metastasis, dormancy, and relapse. Although microglia may serve as a major component in the brain immune system, the interaction between metastatic cancer cells and microglia is still largely unknown and remains to be elucidated. In this study, we have investigated microglial reactions in brain tissues with metastatic lung cancer cells and evaluated the cytotoxic effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated microglia on metastatic lung cancer cells in vitro. In the vicinity of metastatic lung cancer mass in the brain, microglia showed signs of significant activation. There was an obvious increase in the number of microglia labeled with ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) antibody, a specific marker of microglia. The microglia were observed to form a clear boundary between the tumor mass and normal brain tissue. In the region where the tumor mass was situated, only a few microglia expressed inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), indicating differential activation in those microglia. The supernatant from LPS-activated microglia induced apoptosis of metastatic lung cancer cells in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner. However, at lower concentrations of activated microglial supernatant, trophic effects on cancer cells were observed, some lung cancer cells being insensitive to microglial cytotoxicity. Together with the observation that TNF-α alone induced proliferation of the tumor cells, the findings provide possible clues to the mechanism involved in metastasis of lung cancer cells to the brain