Table 2. Univariate and multivariate analysis of LNM in HNSCC based on clinicopathological characteristics.

Clinicopathological characteristics	Univariate analysis		Multivariate analysis
	P value (χ2/t)†		OR (95% CI)	P value
Age groups	0.63
Sex	0.23
Primary subsite	0.19
Smoking	0.42
Alcohol, yes vs. no (ref)	0.002*		2.915 (1.349–6.298)	0.006*
Diabetes	0.18
Hypertension	0.65
cT staging	0.49
Ki-67 (%)	0.004*		1.031 (1.006–1.056)	0.01*
p53	0.12
p16	0.11
F. nucleatum enrichment, high vs. low (ref)	0.006*		2.759 (1.077–7.069)	0.03*
IL-32 expression	0.002*		1.331 (1.030–1.720)	0.03*

^†, comparisons performed using Chi-square test for categorical variables and Student’s t-test for continuous variables. All Student’s t-tests and Chi-square tests were two-sided. *, indicates significant P values <0.05. cT staging, clinical T staging, according to AJCC 8th; HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; F. nucleatum, Fusobacterium nucleatum; Ki-67, antigen Kiel 67; LNM, lymph node metastasis; p53, tumor protein p53; p16 (P16INK4; CDKN2A), cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.