ArticleOncotarget2017
Characterization of tumor-associated T-lymphocyte subsets and immune checkpoint molecules in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Article in Oncotarget, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 96 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
96 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 125 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Kang'ai injection combined with chemotherapy on immune function in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis of age-dependent human T-lymphocyte homeostasis.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Durvalumab with or without tremelimumab for patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Pooled it
- Temporal Bone Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Molecular Markers Involved in Carcinogenesis, Behavior, and Prognosis: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Tumor immune microenvironment alterations using induction cetuximab in a phase II trial of deintensified therapy for p16-positive oropharynx cancer.Head & neck · 2023Trial
- Biomarkers Predictive of Immunotherapy Efficacy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Insights and Future Perspectives.World journal of otorhinolaryngology - head and neck surgery · 2026Review
- Single-cell TCR mapping reveals spatially coordinated T cell states in head and neck cancer.Science immunology · 2026Article
- Immunoscore and beyond: evolution and clinical integration of immune contexture-based biomarkers across solid tumours.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Distribution and function of human long-lasting T cells in aging and non-small cell lung cancer.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- OX40L and IL-2 combination strategy for gastric cancer immunotherapy.Translational cancer research · 2025Article
- Integration of Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis with Unique Patient-Derived Models Reveals Clinically Relevant Drug Targets in TFCP2 Fusion-Defined Rhabdomyosarcoma.Molecular cancer therapeutics · 2025Article
- HPV status shapes T-cell immunoprofiles in oesophageal adenocarcinoma: high regulatory T cell infiltration predicts poor prognosis.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Article
- Immunotherapeutic strategies in head and neck cancer: challenges and opportunities.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2025Review
- Review
- Article
- Characterization of the adaptive immune response in a mouse model for HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with implications to human disease.Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII · 2025Article
- The Expression of PDL-1 and PD1 in the Microenvironment of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2024Article
- Immunotherapy: The Fourth Domain in Oral Cancer Therapeutics.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2024Article
- Tertiary Lymphoid Structures Gene Signature Predicts Prognosis and Immune Infiltration Analysis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.Current genomics · 2024Article
36 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
18 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The composition of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) reflects biology and immunogenicity of cancer. Here, we characterize T-cell subsets and expression of immune checkpoint molecules in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We analyzed TIL subsets in primary tumors (n = 34), blood (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); n = 34) and non-cancerous mucosa (n = 7) of 34 treatment-naïve HNSCC patients and PBMC of 15 healthy controls. Flow cytometry analyses revealed a highly variable T-cell infiltration mainly of an effector memory phenotype (CD45RA-/CCR7-). Naïve T cells (CD45RA+/CCR7+) were decreased in the microenvironment compared to PBMC of patients, while regulatory T cells (CD4+/CD25+/CD127low and CD4+/CD39+) were elevated. Furthermore, we performed digital image analyses of entire cross sections of HNSCC to define the 'Immunoscore' (CD3+ and CD8+ cell infiltration in tumor core and invasive margin) and quantified MHC class I expression on tumor cells by immunohistochemistry. Immune checkpoint molecules cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) were increased in TILs compared to peripheral T cells in flow-cytometric analysis. Human papillomavirus (HPV) positive tumors showed higher numbers of TILs, but a similar composition of T-cell subsets and checkpoint molecule expression compared to HPV negative tumors. Taken together, the tumor microenvironment of HNSCC is characterized by a strong infiltration of regulatory T cells and high checkpoint molecule expression on T-cell subsets. In view of increasingly used immunotherapies, a detailed knowledge of TILs and checkpoint molecule expression on TILs is of high translational relevance.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.