Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 90-95% of all cases of oral cancer. The incidence of OSCC is high. In Brazil, data point to the recording of 15.490 new cases of oral cancer in 2016. Although there is a higher prevalence of OSCCs in elderly patients, studies show an increase in the number of affected young patients. In the histopathological analysis, besides the presence of invasive islands and cords of malignant epithelial cells, there is also the presence of peritumoral and intratumoral immune infiltrates, where a large amount of macrophages can be visualized, cells with important role in the regulation of the innate immune response and that can be classified as M1 and M2 types. The M1 macrophages have anti-tumor properties, whereas M2 macrophages show a pro-tumor profile and its frequency seems to be associated with vascular stroma modulation (angiogenesis) in OSCC. Interestingly, there are no studies evaluating the possible effects of aging (immunosenescence) on the variation of these macrophage populations and their relationship with angiogenesis in the OSCC. Thus, this work aims to analyze, through immunohistochemistry (single and double immunostaining), the frequency and location of M1 and M2 macrophages and its relation with angiogenesis in young and elderly patients, using the markers CD68 and CD163 (macrophages), CD34 and D2-40 (microvascular density) in OSCC biopsies (n=60) divided into three groups (<40 years [n=20], 40-65 years [n=20],> 65 years [n = 20]), for elucidate the effects of immunosenescence on macrophage polarization and modulation of angiogenesis in OSCC. Studies of this nature will contribute to a better understanding of the immunological and angiogenic mechanisms of OSCC, especially affecting young patients, and to propose a solid methodology of analysis of the young and elderly populations in the OSCC, which is currently heterogeneous and poorly defined. (AU)
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