Figure 5

HB-EGF and OSM are co-expressed by TAM in breast carcinomas. (A) TAM co-express HB-EGF and OSM. Paraffin-embedded tumor specimens of breast carcinoma patients with elevated HB-EGF plasma levels were stained with an antibody detecting the macrophage marker CD68. Consecutive slides were stained with antibodies against HB-EGF and OSM. Representative micrographs. Scale bar: 50 μm. (B). Primary tumors of HB-EGF positive breast carcinoma patients are densely infiltrated by TAM. Macrophages were detected by a monoclonal anti-CD68 antibody as in (A). Representative micrographs show macrophage infiltrates in tumor samples of HB-EGF positive and negative patients. Healthy breast stromal tissue is largely devoid of macrophage infiltrates. Scale bar: 50 μm. (C). Elevated HB-EGF plasma levels correspond to increased TAM density in breast carcinoma patients. TAM in paraffin-embedded primary tumor samples of patients with elevated HB-EGF plasma levels (+; n = 12; mean HB-EGF concentration: 222.1 pg/ml) and of HB-EGF negative patients (-; n = 9) were identified by anti-CD68 staining. TAM numbers were quantified in 6 high power fields per patient (HPF). Scatter plots indicate mean values for each patient (dots) and mean values for both cohorts (horizontal bars). p = 0.0036 by Mann-Whitney’s U-Test. (D). TAM density correlates with tumor size in breast carcinoma patients. Tumor-infiltrating macrophages were quantified as in (C). Patients were divided into two cohorts according to tumor size (pT1: tumor size ≤ 2 cm; n = 12; pT > 1: tumor size > 2 cm; n = 9). p = 0.0012 by Mann-Whitney’s U-Test.