TIE2-expressing monocytes as a diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with angiogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deathsworldwide. In the past few years, the mechanisms of hepato-carcinogenesis have been elucidated and theinvolvement of a number of pathways, including angiogenesis, aberrant signal transduction, and dysregulatedcell cycle control have been demonstrated. Myeloid lineage cells, such as macrophages and monocytes,have been reported to regulate angiogenesis in mouse models. TIE2, a receptor of angiopoietins, conveyspro-angiogenic signals and identifies a monocyte/macrophage subset with pro-angiogenic activity. Recently,one study suggests that TIE2-expressing monocyte/macrophage (TEMs) frequency can be used as adiagnostic marker for HCC.