Table 3 Studies assessing the prognostic value of T cells and B cells in OSCC

From: Tissue-infiltrating immune cells as prognostic markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors, ref.

Number of patients, tumour size/stage, Inclusion period, country

Tumour compartment analysed

Direction of effect on survival high cell count

Statistical significance

    

UV

MV

T cells

 Marker: CD3, pan T cell marker

  Wirsing et al.28

74, T1–T4, 1986–2002, Norway

Stroma at tumour front

Positive

DSS: P = 0.200

NA

  Ahn et al.23

68a, Stage I–IV, 2003–2011, South Korea

Stroma

Positive

OS: P = 0.142, HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–1.00)

NA

   

No effect

DFS: P = 0.552, HR 1.00 (95% CI 0.98–1.01)

NA

  Sakakura et al.45

74, Stage I–IV, 2000–2012, Japan

Tumour periphery

No info

OS: P = 0.856, PFS: P = 0.981

NA

  Dayan et al.34

54, Stage I–IV, 1990–2006, Israel

Tumour–stroma interface

No info

OS: P > 0.05

NA

 Marker: CD4, various T cell subsets

  Wirsing et al.28

72, T1–T4, 1986–2002, Norway

Stroma at tumour front

Positive

DSS: P = 0.691

NA

  Fang et al.29

78a, Stage I–IV, 2007–2009, China

Stroma

No info

OS: P = 0.207, HR 1.458 (95% CI 0.812–2.618)b

OS: P = 0.909, HR 0.963 (95% CI 0.506–12.835)b

  Mattox et al.47

47a, T1/T2, N0–N2, Period missing, US

No info

Positive

OS: P = 0.18

NA

  Dayan et al.34

54, Stage I–IV, 1990–2006, Israel

Tumour–stroma interface

No info

OS: P > 0.05

NA

  Cho et al.46

45, Stage I–IV, Period missing, South Korea

Peritumour

Positive

OS: P = 0.571

NA

  Watanabe et al.48

87, Stage I–IV (M0), 1994–2003, Japan

Stroma

No info

OS: P = 0.072

NA

  

Nest

No info

No info

NA

 Marker: T-bet, Th1 cell marker

  Fang et al.29

78a, Stage I–IV, 2007–2009, China

Stroma

No info

OS: P = 0.639 h 1.148 (95% CI 0.645–2.045)b

OS: P = 0.836, HR 0.938 (95% CI 0.510–1.724)b

 Marker: FoxP3+/− CCR4, Treg marker

  Ahn et al.23

68a, Stage I–IV, 2003–2011, South Korea

Stroma

Positive

OS: P = 0.374, HR 0.98 (95% CI 0.93–1.03)

NA

   

Negative

DFS: P = 0.754, HR 1.01 (95% CI 0.96–1.06)

NA

  Zhou et al.49

46, Stage I–IV, 2006–2011, China

Stroma

Negative

OS: P = 0.001

OS: P= 0.021, RR 15.152 (CI no info)b

  Fujita et al.40

50a, Stage I–IV, 2006–2010, Japan

Invasive front

No info

OS: P > 0.05, DSS: P > 0.05

NA

  

Intratumour

No info

OS: P > 0.05, DSS: P > 0.05

NA

  Dayan et al.34

54, Stage I–IV, 1990–2006, Israel

Tumour–stroma interface

No info

OS: P > 0.05

NA

  Watanabe et al.48

87, Stage I–IV (M0), 1994–2003, Japan

Stroma

Negative

OS: P = 0.31 (FoxP3)

No info

    

OS: P = 0.001 (FoxP3/CCR4+)

No info

 Marker: CD8, cytotoxic T cell marker

  Wirsing et al.28

72, T1–T4, 1986–2002, Norway

Stroma at tumour front

Negative

DSS: P = 0.304

NA

  Ahn et al.23

68a, Stage I–IV, 2003–2011, South Korea

Stroma

Positive

OS: P = 0.181, HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.97–1.01)

NA

   

Positive

DFS: P = 0.282, HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.96–1.01)

NA

  Fang et al.29

78a, Stage I–IV, 2007–2009, China

Stroma

Positive

OS: P < 0.001, HR 0.263 (95% CI 0.138–0.501)b

OS: P = 0.030, HR 0.460 (95% CI 0.228–0.928)b

  Kogashiwa et al.50

84, Stage III–IVA, 2007–2014, Japan

No info

Positive

OS: P = 0.058

NA

    

PFS: P = 0.35

 

  Mattox et al.47

48a, T1/T2, N0–N2, Period missing, US

No info

No info

OS: P = 0.41

NA

  Wu et al.51

165, T1–T4, 2008–2010 and 2012–2015, China

No info (TMA)

Positive

OS: P = 0.0498

OS: P = 0.052, HR 0.579 (95% CI 0.333–1.005)

  Dayan et al.34

54, Stage I–IV, 1990–2006, Israel

Tumour–stroma interface

No info

OS: P > 0.05

NA

  Cho et al.46

44, Stage I–IV, Period missing, South Korea

Intratumour

No info

No info

NA

  

Peritumour

Positive

OS: P = 0.178

NA

  Watanabe et al.48

87, Stage I–IV, M0, 1994–2003, Japan

Stroma

Positive

OS: P = 0.001

NA

  

Nest

Positive

OS: P = 0.001

NA

  Zancope et al.44

40, T1–T4, Period missing, Brazil

Peritumour

Positive

OS: P = 0.40

NA

  

Intratumour

No info

OS: P = 0.9

NA

B cells

 Marker: CD20, pan B-cell marker

  Wirsing et al.28

75, T1–T4, 1986–2002, Norway

Stroma at invasive front

Positive

DSS: P = 0.002

DSS: P > 0.05

  Ahn et al.23

68a, Stage I–IV, 2003–2011, South Korea

Stroma

Positive

OS: P = 0.186, HR 0.98 (95% CI 0.96–1.00)

NA

   

Positive

DFS: P = 0.496, HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.97–1.02)

NA

  Dayan et al.34

54, Stage II–V, 1990–2006, Israel

Tumour–stroma interface

No info

OS: P > 0.05

NA

 Marker: CD19, pan B-cell marker

  Lao et al.52

93a, Stage I–IV, Period missing, China

Stroma

Positive

OS: P = 0.008

OS: Significant, but P-value and HR missing

 Marker: CD138, plasmacell marker

  Dayan et al.34

64, Stage I–IV, 1990–2006, Israel

Tumour–stroma interface

No info

OS: P > 0.05

NA

 Marker: IL19/CD19, Breg marker

  Zhou et al.49

46, Stage I–IV, 2006-2011, China

Stroma

Negative

OS: P = 0.001

OS: P = 0.528, RR 1.575 (CI no info)b

  1. OS overall survival, if survival was not specified it was interpreted as overall survival, DSS disease-specific survival, PFS progression-free survival, HR hazards ratio, RR risk ratio, NA not applied
  2. Significant values are bold (p< 0.05)
  3. aDenotes that information about chemotherapy/radiation exposure of tissue prior to surgery was missing or ambiguous
  4. bDenotes that the HR and CI were inverted in these studies