The tumor microenvironment (TME) is rich in immune cells of which macrophages and other myeloid cells are the most abundant (103, 104) and the presence of high amounts of CD68 and CD163 positive tumor-associated macrophages is associated with poor prognosis in a number of human cancers (105), including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (106). Here, CD163 is linked to neoplasm.