Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression correlates with macrophage infiltration and tumor vascularity in human gastric carcinomas

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of interactions between tumor cells and macrophages during angiogenesis in human gastric carcinomas. Macrophage infiltration into tumors and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression was assessed in 72 archival specimens of gastric carcinoma for comparison with tumor vascularity. The mRNA expression of MCP-1 was examined by RT-PCR in 6 gastric carcinoma cell lines and in fresh biopsy specimens from 18 patients. Immunolocalization of representative angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) was also done. MCP-1 expression in tumor cells increased with the depth of tumor invasion (Tis 9.5%, T1 19.4%, T2-4 60.0%), as did microvessel density and macrophage infiltration. Macrophage counts correlated with vessel counts, and both were significantly higher in MCP-1-positive than in negative tumors. Of the 6 gastric carcinoma cell lines, 2 constitutively expressed MCP-1 mRNA. In 6 (33.3%) of 18 biopsy samples, MCP-1 mRNA was expressed at higher levels in tumor tissues than in normal mucosa. VEGF protein was expressed by gastric carcinoma cells, whereas PD-ECGF protein was expressed mainly by stromal mononuclear cells. MCP-1 expression correlated significantly with VEGF but not PD-ECGF expression in gastric carcinomas. These results suggest that MCP-1 produced by human gastric carcinoma cells plays a role in angiogenesis via macrophage recruitment and activation.