Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41097741›Full record

ArticleCancers2025

Co-Stimulatory and Immune Checkpoint Molecule Expression on Peripheral Immune Cells Differs Age Dependently Between Healthy Donors and Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Lisa K Puntigam, Ayla Grages, Julius M Vahl, Franziska Oliveri, Matthias Brand, Simon Laban, Jens Greve, Marie N Theodoraki, Cornelia Brunner, Thomas K Hoffmann and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Lisa K PuntigamDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0009-0003-1850-6034
Ayla GragesDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
Julius M VahlDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4481-7085
Franziska OliveriDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3280-448X
Matthias BrandDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0009-0007-9722-8771
Simon LabanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6732-7137
Jens GreveDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
Marie N TheodorakiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
Cornelia BrunnerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6456-5508
Thomas K HoffmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
Patrick J SchulerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
Adrian Von WitzlebenDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Frauensteige 12, 89075 Ulm, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe analysis of exhaustion marker expression, like immune checkpoint molecules (ICMs) on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as well as peripheral immune cells of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), is of high interest since it reveals information about the patient's immune status and the effectiveness of immune modulation. However, data regarding age-dependent expression are lacking. Here, we demonstrate an increase in most ICMs associated with age and disease, suggesting immune checkpoint modulation as an evidence-based option for the treatment of aged HNSCC patients. MATERIAL AND

methodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (healthy: n = 30 with an age range from 21 to 84 years/HNSCC: n = 37 with an age range from 37 to 94 years) were analyzed via flow cytometry following (density gradient separation) standard protocol. Flow cytometry was performed using CD4 and CD8 as backbone markers as well as co-stimulatory molecules like CD137, OX40, GITR, and CD27 or ICM like PD-1, CTLA4, BTLA, LAG3, or TIM3 using a Gallios flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA).

resultsWe found a statistically significant decreased ICM expression on the PBMCs of healthy donors with increasing age. However, the expression of ICMs in HNSCC was significantly increased (PD1 on CD4

conclusionsThis study sheds light on the changing co-stimulatory molecule/ICM expression regarding the patient's age and reveals an increase in most immune checkpoint molecules for HNSCC patients according to their age. This new evidence is valuable in ensuring individualized therapeutic approaches in the increasingly relevant field of checkpoint inhibition, even in old age.

Indexed as

ageingHNSCCimmune checkpointsimmune senescencetargeted immunotherapy

Identifiers

PMID41097741
PMCPMC12523874

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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.