title: The association between expressions of Ras and CD68 in the angiogenesis of breast cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Angiogenesis is a critical step of breast cancer metastasis. Oncogenic Ras promotes the remodeling of cancer microenviroment. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a prominent inflammatory cell population emerging in the microenviroment and facilitating the angiogenesis and metastasis. In the present study, we tried to investigate the relationship between the expression of Ras and infiltration of TAM, both of which could further promote angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expressions of Ras, CD68 and CD34 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The infiltration of macrophages was evaluated by counting the number of CD68(+) cells. Vessel endothelial cells were defined as CD34(+) cells. Angiogenesis vascularity was defined by microvessel density (MVD) assay through counting the number of vessels per field counted in the area of highest vascular density. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the overall survival (OS). Macrophages were derived from monocytes in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating-factor (MCSF). Breast cancer cells were treated with macrophage-conditioned medium (MCM) and tested the expressions of K-, H- and N-Ras by using realtime-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ras positive status was correlated with ER, PR and Her-2 positivity, larger tumour size and lymph node metastasis, as well as higher TNM stages. A higher number of CD68(+) cells was correlated with larger tumour size, higher TNM stages and Her-2 positivity. Both Ras positivity and infiltration of CD68(+) macrophages correlated with poor OS. The number of CD68(+) cells was positively correlated with the expression of Ras. Treatment with MCM did not up-regulate but repressed the expression of Ras. Both up-regulation of Ras and infiltration of TAMs correlated with increased MVD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of Ras and infiltration of TAM were positively correlated, and both participated in angiogenesis. Elevated Ras could be responsible for the infiltration of TAM.
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Rong-Rui
authors: RR
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Xuzhou, 221009 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Chong
authors: C
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Meng-Yao
authors: MY
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.|Department of Oncology, Suzhou Xiangcheng People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215131 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Lian
authors: L
authors: Lian
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.|Department of Oncology, Sihong People's Hospital, Sihong, 223900 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Gao-Feng
authors: GF
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.|Department of Oncology, Nanjing Gaochun People's Hospital, Gaochun, 211300 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Ming-Yun
authors: MY
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.|Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, 221006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.|Department of Oncology, the first Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, 310006 Zhejiang Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Liu-Mei
authors: LM
authors: Shou
authors: Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Fei-Ran
authors: FR
authors: Gong
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Wei-Ming
authors: WM
authors: Duan
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.|Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu Province People's Republic of China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Tao
keywords: Angiogenesis; Breast cancer; CD34; Ras; TAM