Clinicopathological analyses on the blood-borne metastasis in colorectal carcinoma

本研究发现，同步或异时性血行转移组沿结直肠癌浸润缘分布的巨噬细胞数量少于对照组。这表明沿浸润边缘的巨噬细胞可以抑制血液转移。此外，通过免疫组化和原位杂交，这些巨噬细胞表达Fas配体。因此，我们可以推测诱导癌细胞凋亡是上述结果的机制之一。单克隆抗体M30检测到这些巨噬细胞中存在凋亡的癌细胞。这些巨噬细胞表达B7-2、MHC II类和ICAM-1，与树突状细胞具有共同的特征。因此，我们可以推测这些巨噬细胞向局部淋巴结的T细胞呈递癌抗原。事实上，癌细胞巢内浸润的CD8+ T细胞的数量（上皮内型）是一个预后因素。将这些宿主因素与肿瘤细胞因素结合起来考虑，我们就能够评估患癌患者的预后。

The present study revealed that the number of macrophages distributed along the invasive margin of colorectal cancer is smaller in the groups of synchronous or metachronous hematogenous metastasis than in control group. This demonstrates that macrophages along the invasive margin could be inhibitory to hematogenous metastasis. Furthermore, these macrophages expressed Fas ligand by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Therefore, we could speculate the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells as one of the mechanisms of the above-mentioned results. Apoptotic cancer cells detected by a monoclonal antibody M30 is present in these macrophages. These macrophages expressed B7-2, MHC class II and ICAM-1, sharing common features with dendritic cells. Therefore, we could speculate that these macrophages present cancer antigens to T cells in the regional lymph nodes. In fact, the number of CD8+ T cells infiltrated within cancer cell nests (intraepithelial type) is a prognostic factor. We would be able to assess the prognosis of cancer -bearing patients when these host factors are considered together with factors of cancer cells.