ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the correlation between the number of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages infiltration and the clinical characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC),and to investigate the role and significance of CD163+ and CD68+ macrophages in OSCC.Methods Forty-two cases of OSCC resected by operation and diagnosed by postoperative pathology with intact clinical data in our hospitals during 2013-2016 were selected.Other 12 cases of oral mamaxillofacial normal tissue served as controls.The number of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages infiltration in OSCC was detected by immunohistochemistry.Its correlation with clinical characteristics was analyzed.Results The number of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages infiltration in OSCC was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05);the infiltration quantity of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages in poor differentiation and moderate differentiation was significantly higher than that in high differentiation(P<0.05).The number of CD68+ macrophages in lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that without lymph node metastasis (P<0.05).The number of CD163+ macrophages in the lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that of CD68+ (P<0.05).The number of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages had positive correlation in OSCC (r=0.48,P=0.00).Conclusion Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and M2 macrophages may play an important role in OSCC,TAMs may inhibits lymph node metastasis in OSCC,while M2 marcophages may promote the lymphatic matastasis of OSCC.