Clinicopathological and Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Infiltration in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This study aims to explore the influence of CD66b+ and CD8+ tumor infiltration, along with the tumoral neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (tNLR) and blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (bNLR), on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Clinicopathological parameters and survival data were retrospectively collected from 46 patients with OSCC. bNLR was determined using a complete blood count test. tNLR was assessed by counting immunostained cells for CD66b (neutrophils) and CD8 (cytotoxic T cells) across different tumor regions (tumor center and invasive front) and compartments (parenchyma and stroma). Prognostic impacts on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Smoking history correlated with higher bNLR. Blood lymphocyte counts were significantly higher in surviving patients (P=0.014). TNM stage I/II tumors exhibited better OS and lower CD66b+ cell counts compared to stage III/IV. Increased CD66b+ counts (P<0.034), higher stromal CD8+ counts, and tNLR above the median were linked to worse OS. Furthermore, elevated stromal CD8+ counts at the invasive front were associated with significantly lower PFS (P=0.038). In conclusion, CD8+, CD66b+, and NLR were associated with poorer survival outcomes in OSCC, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets and improved prognostic models.