Macrophages activating chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8/miR-17 cluster modulate hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth and metastasis.

Macrophages are a major component of tumor stroma and the infiltrated macrophages in malignant tumor tissues (as called tumor associated macrophages, TAM) play a pivotal role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the molecular mechanisms of macrophages promoting HCC metastasis are poorly understood. The study was to investigate the effects of macrophages on liver cancer cell proliferation and metastasis through chemokine (C-X-C Motif) Ligand 8 (CXCL8). We found that macrophages activated by co-cultured liver cancer cells produced higher levels of CXCL8, which accelerated cell growth and metastasis. The expression of miR-18a and miR-19a (belonging to miR-17 cluster) increased in HCC cells by CXCL8 simulation and led to the enhancement of HCC cell proliferation and metastasis. In a conclusion, HCC cells and macrophages interaction promoted cancer cell proliferation and metastasis through the up-regulation of CXCL8/miR-17 cluster.