Macrophage infiltration and angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the relationship between macrophage infiltration and angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Macrophage and angiogenesis was determined by immunohistochemistry. The Immunohistostaining of macrophage and microvessel was counted in most active areas under a light microscope. The mean macrophage counts in tumors was significantly higher than the counts in normal epithelia; The mean microvessel counts in inflammation epithelia and in tumors were not significantly different, but both were higher than that in normal epithelia (P<0 001). Microvessel counts were strongly correlated with macrophage counts in tumors (P<0.01),and high numbers of macrophages often were seen to lie with tumor stroma around the areas of necrosis. macrophage counts were significantly correlated with pathological grades (P<0.05) of th tumor. Tumor associated macrophages may play a major role in the regulation of angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.