%0 Journal Article %A Rühle, Alexander %A Todorovic, Jovan %A Spohn, Simon S K %A Gkika, Eleni %A Becker, Christoph %A Knopf, Andreas %A Zamboglou, Constantinos %A Sprave, Tanja %A Werner, Martin %A Grosu, Anca-Ligia %A Kayser, Gian %A Nicolay, Nils %T Prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints in elderly head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing definitive (chemo)radiotherapy. %J Radiation oncology %V 17 %N 1 %@ 1748-717X %C London %I BioMed Central %M DKFZ-2022-02787 %P 181 %D 2022 %Z #EA:E055#LA:E055# %X Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with locoregional control (LRC) in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients undergoing (chemo)radiotherapy. As immunosenescence results in reduced immune activity, the role of TILs in elderly HNSCC patients may differ compared to younger patients, providing a rationale to study the prognostic role of TILs and immune checkpoints (ICs) in this population.Sixty-three HNSCC patients aged ≥ 65 years undergoing definitive (chemo)radiotherapy between 2010 and 2019 with sufficient material from pre-treatment biopsies were included in the analysis. Immunohistochemical stainings of CD3, CD4, CD8, PD-L1, TIM3, LAG3, TIGIT and CD96, and of osteopontin as an immunosenescence-associated protein were performed. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Fine-Gray's models were used for locoregional failure (LRF) analyses.While there was no correlation between patient age and IC expression, osteopontin levels correlated with increasing age (r = 0.322, p < 0.05). Two-year OS, PFS, and LRC were 44 %K Elderly (Other) %K Geriatric (Other) %K Head-and-neck cancer (Other) %K Immune checkpoint (Other) %K Immunosenescence (Other) %K Radiotherapy (Other) %K Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (Other) %F PUB:(DE-HGF)16 %9 Journal Article %$ pmid:36376922 %R 10.1186/s13014-022-02153-9 %U https://inrepo02.dkfz.de/record/182606