A Practical Method for Detecting Prognostic CD57+ T Cells in Head and Neck Cancer.

Abstract

Recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) affects nearly half of patients and greatly reduces survival. There are currently no well-established mechanisms to predict which HNSCC patients will experience disease recurrence. We have previously shown that an elevated proportion of highly differentiated, CD57+ effector memory T (HD TEMRA) cells in circulation is associated with early recurrence and poor locoregional disease control in HNSCC patients. Here, we present refined flow cytometry panels utilizing fewer fluorescent antibodies that retain the prognostic value of HD TEMRA cells in predicting HNSCC recurrence. In our cohort of surgically treated HNSCC patients, identifying HD TEMRA cells via flow cytometry as live CD8+ CD28- CD57+ cells effectively predicted disease recurrence. When assessing this cohort by disease subsite, we found that for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, identifying HD TEMRA cells by CD8+ CD57+ alone was sufficient for predicting locoregional disease recurrence. These refined panels enhance the clinical utility of HD TEMRA proportion as a biomarker due to their technical and analytic ease. Implementation of HD TEMRA cell proportion as a clinical biomarker could aid in personalized HNSCC treatment planning.