Tumor‐infiltrating FoxP3+ T cells are associated with poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objectives: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy in the oral cavity. Moreover, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been recently implicated in the onset of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) positive and are normally involved in the mechanism by which organisms escape attacks from their own immune system; however, in tumors, these cells are known to suppress antitumor immunity and block the attack against tumors. The present study evaluated the associations of the number of Tregs and HPV infection with prognoses in patients with OSCC.Material and methods: Samples from 106 patients diagnosed with OSCC were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for the identification of FoxP3+ Tregs and HPV. The relationship between the observed number of Foxp3-positive cells, the presence/absence of HPV infection and associations with clinicopathological indicators were analyzed.Results: Tissues were classified into high (High) and low (Low) Treg count groups, with 69 patients classified as High and 37 classified as Low. The prognoses were significantly better in the Low group compared with the High group (p = 0.04). FoxP3 expression may have had some effect on nodal metastases (p = 0.09). HPV antigens were detected in 65 patients, but there were no significant associations with prognosis (p = 0.34).HPV-infected tumors were more common in the gums and tongues than in the lips, cheeks, and floor of the mouth (p = 0.05).Conclusions: These results indicate that Tregs in tumor sites are associated with worsened prognoses of patients with OSCC and suggest potential therapies targeting Tregs in OSCC.

Genes involved in metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review

“…The subsequent screening step by both title and abstract resulted in 23 studies being included. Full‐text screening of the included studies resulted in 14 being selected for review 1,4,6,17,37,44,49–58 . A flowchart that depicts the screening process is displayed in Figure 1.…”

“…Full‐text screening of the included studies resulted in 14 being selected for review. 1 , 4 , 6 , 17 , 37 , 44 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 A flowchart that depicts the screening process is displayed in Figure 1 .…”

Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapeutic Management in Virus-Associated Digestive System Tumors

“…In another study, patients with high FoxP3 expression presented a worse prognosis than patients with low expression. In the same study, the 5-year survival in HPV-positive and HPV-negative OSCC patients demonstrated a slight difference in the prognosis; however, there was no statistical importance, with a better prognosis identified in HPV-positive patients [ 137 ].…”

Role of Surgical Pathologist for Detection of Immunooncologic Predictive Factors in Head and Neck Cancer

“…1), whereas the significance of the CD4 + infiltrate remains controversial. In particular, the FoxP3 + Tregs subpopulation, which seems to be involved in the process of immune escape, has been correlated with a better outcome in some studies mainly analyzing oropharyngeal carcinomas,40–44 whereas in others it was significantly associated with poor survival, particularly in tumors arising in the oral cavity 45–47. Thus, relevant differences exist between the different anatomic subsites and between HPV + and HPV − carcinomas.…”