title: Investigation of the interplay between plasma lipids and macrophage polarization in small oral squamous cell carcinomas with different outcome: A pilot study of 17 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growing evidence suggests a correlation of alternative polarization of macrophages (M2) with a bad outcome of oral cancer. Macrophage polarization plays a significant role in the progression of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis, being influenced from plasma cholesterol. On the other hand plasma lipids have been studied epidemiologically as risk factors in carcinogenesis. Goal of our pilot study was the investigation of a possible association of plasma lipids with tumor outcome through their potential influence on macrophage polarization.
  
  
  METHODS
  17 patients with small pN0 OSCC with different clinical outcome, treated operatively without postoperative R(C)T constituted our patient collective. Plasma lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides) were studied in relation to macrophage polarization (determined through the expression of CD68, CD11c, CD163 and MRC1 antibodies) and tumor outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with pathological chronic course of either plasma cholesterol or triglycerides demonstrated an increased infiltration with alternatively polarized macrophages in their specimens. Patients with pathological chronic course of plasma cholesterol showed moreover a bad tumor outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A role of plasma lipids in the tumor outcome via alternative macrophage polarization could be assumed. A larger prospective study is needed to confirm our preliminary results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glueckstrasse 11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: Iliopoulos@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iliopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glueckstrasse 11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glueckstrasse 11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Konstantinos T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Mitsimponas
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glueckstrasse 11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedrich W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Neukam
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glueckstrasse 11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wehrhan
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface
keywords: Cancer; Macrophages; Outcome; Plasma lipids; Polarization