Objectives/hypothesis: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has been shown to be associated with the prognosis of many tumors, yet few studies have investigated their roles in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). We aim to investigate the prognostic values of tumor-infiltrating CD3+ /CD4+ /CD8+ /Foxp3+ T-cells and neutrophils in LSCC patients that received total or partial laryngectomy.
Study design: Retrospective case series of LSCC patients who underwent total or partial laryngectomy from 2013 to 2014 at Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University.
Methods: In our study, 41 tumor tissues from patients with LSCC were retrospectively assessed using immunohistochemistry for CD3+ /CD4+ /CD8+ /Foxp3+ T-cells and CD66b+ neutrophils. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were recorded using Kaplan-Meier methods.
Results: Generally, patients with high density of TILs (CD3, CD4, CD8) showed improved OS or DFS. Specifically, high density of CD3+ TILs were associated with better OS, yet poorer OS and DFS for CD66b+ neutrophils. Patients with an Immunoscore of 0-1 experienced the worst OS and DFS, compared with Immunoscore 2-4 (P = .0111 for OS, P = .0391 for DFS). In Cox proportional hazards analysis adjusted for N stage and T stage, only stroma CD66b+ neutrophils densities were able to predict OS, with odds ratios of 4.819 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.149-20.206; P = .032*), and DFS 2.888 (95% CI 1.043-7.997; P = .041*).
Conclusions: The density of TILs and CD66b+ neutrophils may help predict the prognosis of patients with LSCC after surgery.
Level of evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E1249-E1255, 2021.
Keywords: CD3; CD66b; CD8; Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes; laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
© 2020 American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society Inc, "The Triological Society" and American Laryngological Association (ALA).