Over 80% of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients failed to respond to immunotherapy, which can likely be attributed to the tumor microenvironment (TME) remolding mediated by chemokines/chemokine receptors (C/CR). This study aimed to establish a C/CR-based risk model for better immunotherapeutic responses and prognosis. After assessing the characteristic patterns of the C/CR cluster from the TCGA-HNSCC cohort, a six-gene C/CR-based risk model was developed to stratify patients by LASSO Cox analysis. The screened genes were multidimensionally validated by RT-qPCR, scRNA-seq, and protein data. A total of 30.4% of patients in the low-risk group had better responses to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. A Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients in the low-risk group had longer overall survival. A time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve and Cox analyses indicated that risk score served as an independent predictive indicator. The robustness of the immunotherapy response and prognosis prediction was also validated in independent external datasets. Additionally, the TME landscape revealed that the low-risk group was immune activated. Furthermore, the cell communication analysis on the scRNA-seq dataset revealed that cancer-associated fibroblasts were the main communicators within the C/CR ligand–receptor network of TME. Collectively, The C/CR-based risk model simultaneously predicted immunotherapeutic response and prognosis, potentially optimizing personalized therapeutic strategies of HNSCC.

Objectives To evaluate the short-term efficacy of low-concentration betamethasone mouthwash for severe erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP). Materials and method In this randomized, investigator-blind, positive-controlled trial, OLP patients with erosive lesions received betamethasone mouthwash (0.137 mg/mL) or dexamethasone mouthwash (0.181 mg/mL) three times daily for 2 or 4 weeks and were followed up for 3 months to observe recurrence. The primary outcome was the week-2 reduction in erosive area. Results Fifty-seven participants were randomized to betamethasone ( n = 29) and dexamethasone ( n = 28). At week 2, participants using betamethasone ( n = 28) experienced a greater reduction in erosive area than gargling with dexamethasone ( n = 26). Similarly, secondary outcomes, including the healing proportion of erosions, reduced pain level, reduction in atrophic area, Thongprasom score, and recurrence interval, showed the superiority of betamethasone. At week 4, betamethasone ( n = 7) was not superior to dexamethasone ( n = 15) in further reducing lesional area and pain level. No serious adverse events were documented. Conclusions The 0.137 mg/mL compound betamethasone mouthwash exhibited significant efficacy in rapidly enhancing erosion healing within 2 weeks and extending the recurrence interval with a good safety profile. Clinical relevance This study proved the significant efficacy of short-course 0.137 mg/mL betamethasone mouthwash therapy for treating erosion and pain, providing a novel topical agent for patients with severe EOLP. Trial registration This study was prospectively registered at the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform ( ChiCTR1800016507 ) on 5 June 2018. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00784-023-05051-w.