TY - JOUR T1 - CC-Chemokine Ligand 18 Is an Independent Prognostic Marker in Lymph Node-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 3913 LP - 3918 DO - 10.21873/anticanres.12676 VL - 38 IS - 7 AU - SEVERIN SCHMID AU - AGNES CSANADI AU - NIKOLA KOZHUHAROV AU - MARCEAU TCHUDJIN AU - CLAUDIA KAYSER AU - JUSTYNA RAWLUK AU - BERNWARD PASSLICK AU - MARTIN WERNER AU - ANTJE PRASSE AU - GIAN KAYSER Y1 - 2018/07/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/38/7/3913.abstract N2 - Background/Aim: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key players in the immune response in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the main producers of CC-chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18). Our study aimed to analyze the clinical significance of CCL18 expression by TAMs in NSCLC. Material and Methods: Tissue multi-arrays from 243 non-selected patients with NSCLC were constructed. Immunohistochemical double staining for CD68 and CCL18 was performed and the number of CD68+, as well as CCL18+/CD68+ macrophages determined. Results: Comparison of early to advanced lung adenocarcinoma showed significantly more frequent CD68+ as well as CD68/CCL18 double-positive macrophages in advanced disease (p=0.03 and p=0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed a higher proportion of double-positive macrophages to be an independent prognosticator in lymph node-positive NSCLC (hazard ratio(HR)=0.6, 95% confidence interval(CI)=0.35-0.86, p=0.009). Conclusion: In advanced lung adenocarcinoma, infiltration of CCL18+ TAMs was increased and higher expression of CCL18 by TAMs was associated with a favorable prognosis in lymph-node positive NSCLC. ER -