Neutrophil expression of ICAM1, CXCR1, and VEGFR1 in patients with breast cancer before and after adjuvant chemotherapy

• Published in: Anticancer research 2014-09, Vol.34 (9), p.4693-4699
• Main Authors: Lohri, Corinne, Schaltegger, Claudia S Hutzli, VAN DEN Broek, Maries, Wenger, Roland H, Ruegg, Curzio, Fink, Daniel, Fehr, Mathias K, Knuth, Alexander, Zweifel, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Female; Gene Expression; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - genetics; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - metabolism; Lymphatic Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neutrophils - metabolism; Receptors, Interleukin-8A - blood; Receptors, Interleukin-8A - genetics; Receptors, Interleukin-8A - metabolism; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 - genetics; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 - metabolism
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Distinct populations of neutrophils have been identified based on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1, CD54) and chemokine receptor 1 (CXCR1, interleukin 8 receptor α). We analyzed the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1), a physiological negative regulator of angiogenesis, on distinct populations of neutrophils from the blood of patients before and after adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Neutrophil populations were distinguished as reverse transmigrated (ICAM1(high)/CXCR1(low)), naïve (ICAM1(low)/CXCR1(high)), or tissue-resident neutrophils (ICAM1(low)/CXCR1(low)), and their VEGFR1 expression quantified. Reverse transmigrated ICAM1(high)/CXCR1(low) neutrophilic granulocytes decreased significantly after chemotherapy and these were also the cells with highest mean fluorescence intensity for VEGFR1. Chemotherapy mainly reduces the number of reverse transmigrated long-lived ICAM1(high)/CXCR1(low) VEGFR1-expressing neutrophils. The decrease of antiangiogenic VEGFR1 may have a potential impact on tumour angiogenesis in patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.