“…Finally, the CLUSTER S/SEV OSCC_LNM was specifically associated to GO groups related to activities against pathogen agents, such as "metal sequestration by antimicrobial proteins" (associated to LCN2, LTF, S100A9-see Table 6 for the FC in S/SEV OSCC_LNM); "growth of symbiont in host" (associated to ELANE, MPO, PGLYRP1-see Table 6 for the FC in S/SEV OSCC_LNM); and "antimicrobial peptides" (associated to ELANE, GAPDH, LCN2, LTF, MPO, PGLYRP1, PI3, PRTN3, RNASE3, S100A12, S100A9-see Table 6 for the FC in S/SEV OSCC_LNM). Proteins of these groups, such as lactoferrin (LFT,), lipocalin-2 (LCN2), S100A9 (forming with S100A8 the heterodimeric complex calprotectin), neutrophil elastase (ELANE), peptidoglycan recognition protein 1 (PGLYRP1), and myeloperoxidase (MPO), are widely described for their antibacterial activity or for their role as inflammatory markers [44][45][46][47][48]. The enrichment of these proteins in the S/SEVs from patients with OSCC_LNM could be indicative of dysbiotic signatures occurring during tumor progression.…”