ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of breast.Methods Immunohistochemical streptavidin-biotin method(LSAB) method for CD68 and CD163 were performed on 68 cases of IMPC and 72 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma,not otherwise specified(IDC-NOS).Results CD68 and CD163 were mainly expressed in IMPC interstitial macrophages in the cytoplasm or on the membrane,and occasionally expressed in tumor nest.CD68 positive rate in tumor stroma in IMPC (47/68,69.1％) was higher than in IDC-NOS group (37/72,51.5％),and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P =0.022).CD163 positive rate in tumor stroma between the two groups was not statistically significant(P =0.682).CD68 + macrophages in IMPC stroma were positively correlated with pathological stage,histological grade,lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion,and Ki67 expression(P ＜ 0.05),and inversely correlated with the expression of ER(P =0.037).Univariate analysis showed that CD68 + macrophages in the stroma of IMPC were significantly associated with progression-free survival(P =0.027),Conclusion The expression of TAMs was different in different types of breast carcinoma and widely expressed in IMPC,which may play a significant role in high invasion and metastasis behavior of IMPC.