Immunohistochemical Study of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Its Prognostic Implications
Background/Objectives: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma exhibits marked heterogeneity in clinical behavior, which cannot be fully explained by conventional histopathological parameters alone. Increasing evidence highlights the pivotal role of the tumor immune microenvironment in modulating tumor progression and patient prognosis. Methods: The study group had 82 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. A panel of immunohistochemical markers was chosen to identify and quantify key immune cell populations and immune-related components within the tumor immune microenvironment. Semiquantitative evaluation of immune infiltrates was conducted, with particular emphasis on their density and relative distribution across intratumoral and stromal compartments. Results: Based on the resulting immunophenotypic profiles, cases were categorized into three distinct immune patterns: an active immune type, defined by a prominent and dense inflammatory infiltrate; a mixed type, exhibiting intermediate and heterogeneous immune characteristics; and an immunosuppressive type, characterized by reduced effector immune cell infiltration and a predominance of immunoregulatory elements. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant correlations between these immune patterns and patient survival outcomes. Conclusions: The present study aimed to characterize the immune landscape of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma using immunohistochemical markers and to evaluate its prognostic significance.
Authors
- Mihaela-Iuliana Sirbu
- Marina Rakitovan
- Raluca Maria Cloşca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1397-1864)
- Alexandru Cristian Cîndrea (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7935-4471)
- Nicolae-Constantin Balica
- Flavia Zară
- Ovidiu-Alexandru Mederle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2242-7764)
- Marcela-Maria Labadi
- Antonia Armega-Anghelescu
Institutions
- Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest (RO)
- Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara (RO)
- Romanian Academy (RO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Diagnostics
- Published
- 2026-05-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16101431
- Primary Topic
- Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00