title: High tumor-associated macrophages infiltration is associated with poor prognosis and may contribute to the phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies show that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to the progression and poor prognosis of carcinoma through multiple mechanisms. Both inflammation and changing of epithelium have a close relationship with tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. However, the relevance between EMT and TAMs is still unclear in gastric cancer and needs more scientific research. This study is designed to explore the relationship between EMT and TAMs in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of EMT-related proteins and TAM markers in cancer tissues and normal gastric tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High levels of EMT and TAMs infiltration are related to aggressive features and independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer, respectively. In addition, expression of the two indicators is associated with expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Infiltration of TAMs is also associated with EMT-related marker in gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that high levels of EMT and TAMs infiltration are related to aggressive features and independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer, respectively. A correlation was found between EMT- and TAM-related indicators, which may be associated with TGF-β signaling pathway. The level of TAMs infiltration plays an important role in gastric cancer, the markers of which can be used as prognostic indicators.
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Department of Oncological Surgery, Nuclear Industry 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xianyang.
authors.forename: Jun-Hai
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an.
authors.forename: Ji-Zhao
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Department of Oncological Surgery, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang.
authors.forename: Hang-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an.
authors.forename: Jian-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Duan
keywords: E-cadherin; TGF-β1; gastric cancer; prognosis; tumor-associated macrophages