Ermine theThrombocytes and Lymphatics in Esophageal CancerFigure 1. Samples and results of immunohistochemistry. A: Vascular thrombocytic cluster (VTC) in an esophageal cancer specimen 10781694 (original magnification x400). B: Stromal thrombocytic cluster (STC) in an esophageal cancer specimen assessed by anti ?CD61 immunostaining (original magnification x400). C: Esophageal cancer specimen with high lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) assessed by anti- podoplanin immunostaining (original magnification x200). D: Lymphovascular invasion of tumor cells assessed by anti-podoplanin immunostaining (original magnification x200).Thrombocytes and Lymphatics in Esophageal CancerE: Double staining for lymphatic vessels using (red, anti-podoplanin) and thrombocytes (brown, anti- CD61) (original magnification x400). F : Error bars showing mean values626 standard error. Peripheral blood platelet counts (PBPC) were significantly higher in samples with VTC (F). PBPC (G) and LMVD (H) were significantly higher in esophageal cancer samples with STC. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066941.gmetabolic activity of LECs by tetrazolium reduction. 100 ml of dissolved chromogenic substrate were added to each 30 mm well and incubated at 37uC for 2 h. Thereafter, the culture supernatant was retrieved and the absorbance at 450 nm was measured with a Varioskan Flash plate reader (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA).Results Surgical SpecimensIn total, 320 invasive esophageal cancers were included into this study: 184 adenocarcinomas (AC), and 136 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Clinical data of patients are compiled in table 1, neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery was administered in 98 patients. For calculations, in these patients generally PBPC before initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were used. In 11 patients, no data on PBPC before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were available. Since no significant difference in the PBPC before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was found in the remaining 87 patients (p.0.05, ttest), PBPC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (immediately beforeGrowth Title Loaded From File Factor MeasurementsCo-culture supernatants were analyzed for the content of VEGF-A, -C, -D and PDGF-BB by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Quantikine; R D Systems) according to manufacturer’s instructions.Table 1. Clinical data of patients and presence of stromal and vascular thrombocytic clusters.Variable Adenocarcinoma Tumor stage pT1a (n = 11) pT1b (n = 18) pT2 (n = 53) pT3 (n = 93) pT4 (n = 9) Lymph node status (n = 173) pN0 (n = 57) pN1 (n = 34) pN2 (n = 35) pN3 (n = 47) Title Loaded From File Grading G1 (n = 6) G2 (n = 73) G3 (n = 105) Squamous cell cancer Tumor stage pT1a (n = 7) pT1b (n = 16) pT2 (n = 33) pT3 (n = 71) pT4 (n = 9) Lymph node status (n = 130) pN0 (n = 54) pN1 (n = 46) pN2 (n = 17) pN3 (n = 13) Grading G1 (n = 11) G2 (n = 94) G3 (n = 31) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066941.tStromal thrombocytic clustersVascular thrombocytic clusters0 3 (16.3 ) 11 (20.8 ) 20 (21.5 ) 2 (22.2 )0 1 (5.6 ) 6 (11.3 ) 14 (15.1 ) 1 (11.1 )10 (17.5 ) 3 (8.8 ) 14 (40 ) 8 (17 )5 (8.8 ) 4 (11.8 ) 6 (17.1 ) 21 (12.1 )2 (33.3 ) 12 (16.4 ) 22 (21 )1 (16.7 ) 8 (11 ) 12 (12.4 )1 (14.3 ) 3 (18.8 ) 12 (36.4 ) 28 (39.4 ) 2 (22.2 )1 (14.3 ) 1 (6.3 ) 8 (24.2 ) 23 (32.4 ) 1 (11.1 )14 (25.9 ) 16 (34.8 ) 7 (41.2 ) 8 (61.5 )15 (27.8 ) 10 (21.7 ) 3 (17.6 ) 5 (38.5 )4 (36.4 ) 36 (38.3 ) 6 (19.4 )3 (27.3 ) 26 (27.7 ) 5 (16.1 )Thrombocytes and Lymphatics in Esophageal CancerFigure 2. Kaplan Meier curves of disease free (DFS) and overall sur.Ermine theThrombocytes and Lymphatics in Esophageal CancerFigure 1. Samples and results of immunohistochemistry. A: Vascular thrombocytic cluster (VTC) in an esophageal cancer specimen 10781694 (original magnification x400). B: Stromal thrombocytic cluster (STC) in an esophageal cancer specimen assessed by anti ?CD61 immunostaining (original magnification x400). C: Esophageal cancer specimen with high lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) assessed by anti- podoplanin immunostaining (original magnification x200). D: Lymphovascular invasion of tumor cells assessed by anti-podoplanin immunostaining (original magnification x200).Thrombocytes and Lymphatics in Esophageal CancerE: Double staining for lymphatic vessels using (red, anti-podoplanin) and thrombocytes (brown, anti- CD61) (original magnification x400). F : Error bars showing mean values626 standard error. Peripheral blood platelet counts (PBPC) were significantly higher in samples with VTC (F). PBPC (G) and LMVD (H) were significantly higher in esophageal cancer samples with STC. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066941.gmetabolic activity of LECs by tetrazolium reduction. 100 ml of dissolved chromogenic substrate were added to each 30 mm well and incubated at 37uC for 2 h. Thereafter, the culture supernatant was retrieved and the absorbance at 450 nm was measured with a Varioskan Flash plate reader (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA).Results Surgical SpecimensIn total, 320 invasive esophageal cancers were included into this study: 184 adenocarcinomas (AC), and 136 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Clinical data of patients are compiled in table 1, neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery was administered in 98 patients. For calculations, in these patients generally PBPC before initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were used. In 11 patients, no data on PBPC before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were available. Since no significant difference in the PBPC before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was found in the remaining 87 patients (p.0.05, ttest), PBPC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (immediately beforeGrowth Factor MeasurementsCo-culture supernatants were analyzed for the content of VEGF-A, -C, -D and PDGF-BB by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Quantikine; R D Systems) according to manufacturer’s instructions.Table 1. Clinical data of patients and presence of stromal and vascular thrombocytic clusters.Variable Adenocarcinoma Tumor stage pT1a (n = 11) pT1b (n = 18) pT2 (n = 53) pT3 (n = 93) pT4 (n = 9) Lymph node status (n = 173) pN0 (n = 57) pN1 (n = 34) pN2 (n = 35) pN3 (n = 47) Grading G1 (n = 6) G2 (n = 73) G3 (n = 105) Squamous cell cancer Tumor stage pT1a (n = 7) pT1b (n = 16) pT2 (n = 33) pT3 (n = 71) pT4 (n = 9) Lymph node status (n = 130) pN0 (n = 54) pN1 (n = 46) pN2 (n = 17) pN3 (n = 13) Grading G1 (n = 11) G2 (n = 94) G3 (n = 31) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066941.tStromal thrombocytic clustersVascular thrombocytic clusters0 3 (16.3 ) 11 (20.8 ) 20 (21.5 ) 2 (22.2 )0 1 (5.6 ) 6 (11.3 ) 14 (15.1 ) 1 (11.1 )10 (17.5 ) 3 (8.8 ) 14 (40 ) 8 (17 )5 (8.8 ) 4 (11.8 ) 6 (17.1 ) 21 (12.1 )2 (33.3 ) 12 (16.4 ) 22 (21 )1 (16.7 ) 8 (11 ) 12 (12.4 )1 (14.3 ) 3 (18.8 ) 12 (36.4 ) 28 (39.4 ) 2 (22.2 )1 (14.3 ) 1 (6.3 ) 8 (24.2 ) 23 (32.4 ) 1 (11.1 )14 (25.9 ) 16 (34.8 ) 7 (41.2 ) 8 (61.5 )15 (27.8 ) 10 (21.7 ) 3 (17.6 ) 5 (38.5 )4 (36.4 ) 36 (38.3 ) 6 (19.4 )3 (27.3 ) 26 (27.7 ) 5 (16.1 )Thrombocytes and Lymphatics in Esophageal CancerFigure 2. Kaplan Meier curves of disease free (DFS) and overall sur.
