title: Local Concentrations of CC-Chemokine-Ligand 18 Correlate with Tumor Size in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Are Elevated in Lymph Node-positive Disease.
abstract: The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in tumor growth and spreading. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) make up a large proportion of the tumor mass and are one of the main producers of CC-chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18), which is believed to carry out important functions in the immunological interactions that promote tumor progression.
  
  
  
  Cytokines/chemokines were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from the tumor site and serum before and after resection in patients with proven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  
  CCL18 concentrations in BAL positively correlated with the radiologically determined tumor volume (r=0.72, p=0.0003) in NSCLC. In addition, tumors with lymph-node metastasis exhibited significantly higher CCL18 concentrations in BAL (p=0.049) than those without. Serum CCL18 concentrations did not differ significantly before and after tumor resection.
  
  
  
  The increased release of CCL18 with greater tumor size is most likely due to the accompanied growth of leukocyte infiltrate. With previous findings taken into account, this could be one factor contributing to tumor invasiveness and particularly lymphatic spread in patients with larger tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany severin.schmid@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Severin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Uyen-Thao
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haager
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elze
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars Johann
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kemna
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zissel
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernward
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Passlick
mesh_terms: D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: C111792:CCL18 protein, human; D019742:Chemokines, CC
keywords: CCL18; TAM; lymphatic spread; tumor associated macrophages; tumor microenvironment