Su Ir Lyu, Jannik Johannsen, Adrian Georg Simon, Karl Knipper, Nora Wuerdemann, Shachi Jenny Sharma, Martin Thelen, Kevin Karl Hansen, Caroline Fretter, Charlotte Klasen, Julia Esser, Malte Christian Suchan, Helen Abing, Philipp Heinrich Zimmermann, Anne Maria Schultheis, Hans Anton Schloesser, Jens Peter Klussmann, Alexander Quaas, Hans Nikolaus Caspar Eckel
Background: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rapidly increasing in high income countries due to its association with persistent high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Recent scientific advances have highlighted the importance of the tumor microenvironment in OPSCC. In this study, including 216 OPSCC patients, we analyze the composition of four established markers of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the context of intratumoral CD8 T-cell infiltration. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for fibroblast activation protein (FAP), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRb), periostin, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and CD8 were analyzed digitally and their association with survival, tumor- and patient characteristics was assessed...
2024: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology