CD163 Tumor-Associated Macrophage Expression as a Predictor of Distant Metastasis in Invasive Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study CD163 and Metastasis
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women globally, with distant metastasis being the primary cause of mortality. The tumor microenvironment, particularly Tumor-Associated Macrophages (TAMs), plays a crucial role in cancer progression. This study aimed to evaluate the association between CD163 expression in TAMs and the presence of distant metastasis in patients with breast cancer.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 71 patients with invasive breast cancer at Hasanuddin University Hospital in Makassar. CD163 expression in TAMs was analyzed using immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Clinical and pathological data were collected from the medical records. Chi-square or Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical analysis, with significance set at p<0.05. Odds ratios (OR) were used to determine the strength of the association.
Results: Of the 71 patients, 59.2% showed high CD163 expression in TAMs. A significant association was observed between high CD163 expression and advanced cancer stage (p<0.001), high histopathological grading (p<0.001), and distant metastasis status (p<0.001). After adjusting for key confounders, high CD163 expression was associated with an 11.2-fold increase in the odds of distant metastasis (adjusted OR = 11.2; 95% CI: 3.5–35.8; p<0.001).
Conclusion: High CD163 expression in TAMs is significantly associated with an increased risk of distant metastasis in breast cancer and correlates with more aggressive tumor characteristics. These findings indicate that CD163 TAMs are potential prognostic biomarkers for risk stratification in patients with breast cancer.
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