Histology and immune impact in OSCC

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) prognosis is influenced by tumour characteristics and the immune microenvironment.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between histopathological features, immune cell phenotypes (neutrophils and lymphocytes), and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
• To identify key predictors of aggressive tumour behaviour and poor survival.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 31 OSCC samples using immunohistochemistry for tumour budding, invasion patterns, and immune cell markers (CD66b for neutrophils, CD8 for lymphocytes).
• Assessment of immune cell infiltration at tumour core, invasive front, and overall tumour.
• Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to correlate histopathological and immune features with patient survival.

Main Results:

• High tumour budding correlated with perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and increased tumour thickness.
• Dispersed tumour patterns showed greater invasion depth and thickness; non-cohesive patterns had more perineural invasion and CD66b+ cell infiltration at the invasive front.
• Increased CD66b+ cell counts and non-cohesive/dispersed tumour patterns were associated with shorter overall survival.
• A higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was observed in non-surviving patients.

Conclusions:

• Aggressive OSCC behaviour and poor prognosis are linked to high tumour budding, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and increased CD66b+ neutrophil infiltration at the invasive front.
• These histopathological and immune markers serve as potential predictors for patient outcomes in OSCC.