Distribution and prognostic value of macrophages in colorectal cancer and adjacent mucosa in patient stages I-III vs IV

Table 2 Hazard ratios for overall survival between high vs low cell density of macrophages in colorectal cancer patients’ stage I-III vs IV, n (%)/hazard ratio (95%CI)

	Stages I-III		Stage IV
CD163 NM	33 (75.0)	1.09 (0.43-2.76), P = 0.89	40 (74.1)	0.45 (0.22-0.95), P = 0.04
CD163 TC	31 (73.8)	0.94 (0.39-2.30), P = 0.90	40 (75.5)	0.96 (0.47-1.93), P = 0.90
CD163 TC/NM	21 (50.0)	0.82 (0.36-1.89), P = 0.65	26 (50.0)	1.26 (0.66-2.39), P = 0.48
CD206 NM	32 (74.4)	0.90 (0.37-2.20), P = 0.81	39 (75.0)	1.30 (0.62-2.72), P = 0.48
CD206 TC	32 (76.2)	1.49 (0.50-4.41), P = 0.47	40 (74.1)	0.73 (0.36-1.46), P = 0.37
CD206 TC/NM	21 (50.0)	1.41 (0.60-3.31), P = 0.43	25 (49.0)	0.54 (0.28-1.04), P = 0.06
CD68 NM	33 (75.0)	0.79 (0.34-1.87), P = 0.60	40 (74.1)	0.65 (0.33-1.30), P = 0.22
CD68 TC	31 (75.6)	0.62 (0.26-1.51), P = 0.30	40 (75.5)	0.78 (0.39-1.57), P = 0.48
CD68 TC/NM	20 (48.8)	0.31 (0.12-0.82), P = 0.02	26 (50.0)	0.84 (0.45-1.59), P = 0.59
CD80 NM	31 (73.8)	0.24 (0.10-0.57), P = 0.001	39 (75.0)	0.61 (0.29-1.30), P = 0.20
CD80 TC	30 (73.2)	1.00 (0.40-2.48), P = 0.10	39 (75.0)	0.84 (0.41-1.74), P = 0.64
CD80 TC/NM	20 (48.8)	1.04 (0.45-2.41), P = 0.93	24 (49.0)	1.04 (0.54-2.00), P = 0.92

Densities of macrophages (per mm²) were converted into percentiles and then categorized into low (0%-24%) and high (25%-100%). Ratio of tumor center (TC)/adjacent nontumor mucosa (NM) was calculated by dividing the densities of macrophages in TC by their densities in NM. Median of TC/NM ratios were used as cutoffs to define high and low ratio groups. Hazard ratios represent the relative risk compared with low density/ratio group (hazard ratio = 1.00). The n (%) refers to patients classified as the high-density/ratio group for that specific marker in each individual region. NM: Adjacent nontumor mucosa; TC: Tumor center.