PLCXD2 expression relates to the immune microenvironment and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objective — Despite the advances in oncology, the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) patients remains dismal. In this study, we aimed to determine the relevance of PLCXD2 expression in the tumor microenvironment to the HNSC patient clinicopathological features. Methods — Gene expression analysis and multicolor immunofluorescence histochemistry with HNSC tissuemicroarrays were conducted to examine the relation between PLCXD2 expression and patient outcomes. Additionally, Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between PLCXD2 protein expression and tumor immune infiltrating cells (TIICs), as well as immune checkpoints (PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4) in HNSC tissue, while Chi-square test and Cox proportional-hazards models were employed to validate the correlation between PLCXD2 protein levels and clinicopathological characteristics with patient survival. Results — Our findings revealed higher PLCXD2 expression in HNSC tissue compared to control benign tissues. Additionally, we observed a distinct association between the presence of PLCXD2 protein in cancer nests and various TIICs, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, dendritic cells, as well as CTLA-4+ cells in HNSC tissues. Furthermore, we demonstrated a correlation between PLCXD2 protein expression in cancer cells and advanced TNM stage, as well as a poorer prognosis. Conclusion — Taken together, this study supports PLCXD2 as an independent prognostic marker and a potentially promising target for immunotherapy in HNSC.