Value Of The Osteopontin-Positive Macrophage For Predicting The Prognosis Of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients

ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate the value of the osteopontin-positive macrophage for predicting the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer patients.Methods1. We used immunohistochemistry method to detect the expression of TAMs and its subtypes in159NSCLC patients.2. We used immunofluorescence method to investigate the expression of OPN in TAMs and NSCLC tumor cells, and investigate the value of the osteopontin-positive macrophage for fredicting the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer patients.Results1. The expression level of TAMs was associated with distant metastasis, TNM stage and N stage(P<0.05). The expression level of M2was associated with distant metastasis(P<0.05). In positive lymph node subgroup, the expression level of TAMs was associated with subcarinal lymph node and positive lymph stations (P<0.05), while the expression level of M2was associated with subcarinal lymph node(P<0.05).2. The expression of OPN in TAMs was associated with TNM stage, N stage and distant metastasis(P<0.05). In positive lymph node subgroup, the OPN-positive TAMs was associated with subcarinal lymph node and positive lymph stations (P<0.05). In stage I, the OPN-positive TAMs was more risk to recur(P=0.008), not TAMs or M2subtype.3. In the univariate analysis, the OPN-positive TAMs played an important role in predicting overall survival (OS)(P<0.001) and disease-free survival (P<0.001) by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. In the high level of M2subgroup, the OPN-positive M2had worse pregnosis in both OS and DFS(P<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, OPN-positive TAMs was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR)2.427,95%confidence interval (CI)1.074～5.485, P=0.007] and DFS(HR2.042,95%CI1.270～3.282, P=0.003), so did high level TAMs for OS (HR1.560,95% CI1.164～2.526, P=0.033)and DFS(HR1.668,95%CI0.697～3.994, P=0.041).Conclusions1. The OPN-positive TAMs was associated with recurrence and metastasis, and its value for predicting recurrence risk of early stage NSCLC patients was better than TAMs and M2.2. OPN-positive TAMs was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS and DFS. OPN-positive M2was possible a subgroup in M2, and played an important role in biological function of M2.3. TAMs will be a new target for NSCLC in future.