RESUMO
Tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor homology domains 2 (TIE2)-expressing macrophages (TEMs) are an angiogenesis-promoting subset of tumor-associated macrophages that have been demonstrated to be increased in solid tumors and associated with the progression of cervical cancer. However, the induction mechanism of TEMs remains unclear. Here, based on multicolor immunofluorescence of 58 cervical cancer tissues and the GEPIA database, we found that TEMs were increased in TIE2-high cervical cancer and related to shorter survival. In vitro and in vivo experiments verified that exosomes derived from TIE2-high cervical cancer cells transferred TIE2 protein directly to macrophages, thereby inducing TEMs. Similar to primary TEMs, TEMs induced by tumor-derived exosomes promoted angiogenesis, could be induced by angiopoietin-2, and possessed an M2-like phenotype. In conclusion, exosomes derived from TIE2-high cervical cancer cells induce TEMs by directly transporting TIE2 to promote tumor angiogenesis.
Assuntos
Exossomos/metabolismo , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Neovascularização Patológica/metabolismo , Receptor TIE-2/metabolismo , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/metabolismo , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/patologia , Adulto , Idoso , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Imunofenotipagem , Camundongos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Gradação de Tumores , Metástase Neoplásica , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Transporte Proteico , Transcriptoma , Microambiente Tumoral , Macrófagos Associados a Tumor/imunologia , Macrófagos Associados a Tumor/metabolismo , Macrófagos Associados a Tumor/patologia , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/etiologia , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor homology domains 2 (Tie2)-expressing monocytes (TEMs) are a highly proangiogenic subset of myeloid cells, which are characterized by expressing the angiopoietin receptor Tie2 with pro-tumor activity. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to determine the clinical value of circulating TEMs (cTEMs) for cervical cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 7 healthy volunteers, 17 uterine fibroid patients, 24 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II patients, 31 CIN III patients and 99 patients with cervical cancer. The cTEMs were evaluated by the ratio of Tie2+ CD14+ cells to all CD14+ monocytes in the PBMCs through flow cytometry. The diagnostic value of cTEM was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the correlation between cTEM and clinicopathological characters in cervical cancer patients was analyzed. RESULTS: The proportion of cTEMs was gradually increasing from healthy volunteers to patients with non-invasive lesions, then to cervical cancer patients. The area under the ROC curve was 0.913 when the level of cTEMs was used to distinguish cervical cancer from all the other women ranging from healthy volunteers to CIN III patients. In cervical cancer, an increased cTEM fraction was significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage, larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis (LNM), deep stromal infiltration, parametrial involvement and lymph-vascular space invasion and was an independent risk factor for LNM. CONCLUSION: The cTEM proportion might be a promising biomarker for the malignant transformation of cervical lesions and the progression of cervical cancer.