Profiles of immune cell infiltration and their clinical significance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

It is well established that there exist comprehensive interactions between tumor immunology and tumor biology. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) have been appealing therapeutic targets due to their significance in regulating cancer progression. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the comprehensive landscape of TIICs composition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and their clinical significance. CIBERSORT was applied to calculate the 22 immune cell types proportion in HNSCC and further analysis suggested that six kinds of immune cells (resting memory CD4 T cells, Ml macrophages, resting dendritic cells, resting mast cells, monocytes, and eosinophils) were closely correlated with HNSCC progression. Moreover, memory CD4 T cells may serve as prognosis indicator for HNSCC patients. Collectively, this study uncovered the immune cells infiltration landscape in HNSCC and illustrated their potential relationships with clinical parameters, thereby contributing to the development of customized treatment strategy.