Open AccessHigh expression of heme oxygenase-1 in tumor-associated macrophages characterizes a poor-prognosis subtype in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Author(s) -
Jianfeng Huang,
Bin-bin Wan,
Sha Li,
Gang Liu,
Qingfeng Pang,
Jia Wu,
Erwen Bao,
Changling Sun,
Qin Yan,
Kewei Wang,
Fei Yang,
Yamin Wu,
Fuzheng Zhang,
Bo Yang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 90
ISSN - 1945-4589
DOI - 10.18632/aging.202492
Subject(s) - nasopharyngeal carcinoma , heme oxygenase , cancer research , heme , medicine , chemistry , oncology , biology , enzyme , biochemistry , radiation therapy
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important components of the tumor microenvironment, which are characterized by pro-tumor M2 phenotype and correlate with poor survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays a crucial role in macrophage polarization toward M2 phenotype, but its prognosis significance in NPC has been rarely determined. To gain insights into the HO-1 expression profile and to determine the clinical significance of HO-1 in NPC, we performed immunohistochemistry analyses in 126 NPC specimens. CD163, a highly specific marker of M2 macrophages, was used as a surrogate for the polarization state of TAMs. Our results showed that high expression of HO-1 and CD163 were detected in TAMs for 57.9% (73/126) and 61.9% (78/126) of the studied patients, and both of them were significantly associated with worse survival. Additionally, a significant correlation between the intensities of HO-1 and CD163 was identified, and HO-1 exhibited a superior ability in predicting survival compared with CD163. Our study revealed for the first time that overexpression of HO-1 characterized a poor-prognosis subtype in NPC. Individualized therapy targeting HO-1 might serve as a promising treatment modality for NPC.