title: Infiltrating macrophage count: a significant predictor for the progression and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinomas in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infiltrating macrophage count (IMC) is found to correlate with the progression and prognosis of many human cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used immunohistochemistry to measure the IMC (macrophages/high-power field [HPF]) in 92 specimens of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significantly increased IMC was found in OSCCs with larger tumor size, positive lymph node metastasis, more advanced clinical stages, or recurrence (all ps < .05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis found that OSCC patients with IMC >196 macrophages/HPF had a significantly shorter disease-free (p = .001, log-rank test) or overall survival (p < .001, log-rank test) than OSCC patients with IMC <196 macrophages/HPF. Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that IMC >196 macrophages/HPF was an independent predictor for poor disease-free (p = .005) and overall survival of patients with OSCC (p = .015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IMC can predict the progression and prognosis of OSCCs in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chiung-Shing
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jeng-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tjiu
authors.forename: Chun-Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002452:Cell Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology