Histopathological Growth Pattern, Proteolysis and Angiogenesis in Chemonaive Patients Resected for Multiple Colorectal Liver Metastases
Figure 3
Localisation of uPAR and CD68-positive macrophages in colorectal liver metastases. Adjacent sections from a liver metastasis with desmoplastic growth (a)–(c), a liver metastasis with pushing growth pattern (d)–(f), and a liver metastasis with replacement growth pattern (g)–(i) were stained for uPAR (a), (b), (d), (e), (g), (h) or double stained for cytokeratin and CD68 (c), (f), (i). The uPAR-immunoreactivity was visualised by NovaRed, cytokeratin with Permanent Red, and CD68 with DAB. In the liver metastasis with desmoplastic growth pattern, strong expression of uPAR is seen in macrophages located at the invasive front within the desmoplastic zone (a), (b). Large numbers of macrophages were found at the front of the metastasis (c). In the liver metastasis with pushing growth pattern, uPAR expression is seen in a few macrophages and fibroblast-like cells intermingled with the tumour cells (d), (e). Few macrophages are located at the metastasis/liver parenchyma interface (f). In the liver metastasis with replacement growth pattern, uPAR expression is confined to some macrophages and fibroblast-like cells located between the tumour cells (g)-(h). Few macrophages are located at the metastasis/liver parenchyma interface (i). Black arrows points at the tumour periphery. Black arrowhead in (e) and (g) points at a uPAR-positive neutrophil, which is an internal positive control. Bar a: 100 μm. Bar b: 50 μm.
