CD70 expression and its correlation with clinicopathological variables in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Abstract

Objective: Over the last decade, efforts have been made to get a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment and the role of the immune system in it. New insights into the CD27/CD70 signaling pathway point towards a role in tumor immunology, making CD70 an attractive target for immunotherapy. Here, we evaluate CD70 expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Methods: CD70 immunohistochemistry was retrospectively performed on 95 tumor samples. Tumoral CD70 expression was scored and correlated with clinicopathological variables and overall survival (OS). Results: CD70 expression in tumor cells was observed in 66 samples (69%) and was strongly associated with tumor differentiation grade (p < 0.001). CD70 expression was also observed in tumor-associated fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Additionally, the density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes correlated with OS (p = 0.042). Conclusion: This study describes the tumoral expression of CD70 in SCCHN. Results highlight the role of CD70 in tumor biology and identify CD70 as a novel therapeutic target. Further research is warranted.