Background: Squamous cell carcinoma grows in a complex and dynamic stroma. This microenvironment provides all the necessary stimuli for tumor viability, growth and invasiveness. COX-2 is upregulated during both inflammation and cancer. CD163, a marker of M2 macrophages (Tumor associated macrophages- TAMs), has been studied in several aggressive tumors. The increased expression of CD163 was associated with a poor overall survival in various cancers.
Aims of the Study: The present study aimed to correlate the inflammatory signals presented by COX-2 immunoexpresion with tumor associated macrophages expressing CD163 in different grades of OSCC.
Materials and methods: Immunohistochemical expression of COX-2 and CD163 was evaluated in 30 cases of different grades of OSCC.
Results: The mean difference between the well-differentiated level and the moderately differentiated level of COX-2 and CD 163 was statistically insignificant, while that between the well- and poorly differentiated and between the moderately and the poorly differentiated were highly statistically significant.
Conclusions: inflammatory signals presented by COX-2 immunoexpression and TAM (CD163+ cells) were elevated with increased tumor grade.