Figure 1.

Th2-like T cell subsets and CCR8⁺ Tregs are the main tumor infiltrating Th subsets in OSCC. (A) Representative dot plots of tissue-resident cells obtained from a biopsy from a patient with OSCC and a control patient without malignancy. CD4⁺ T cells were divided into Teff and Tregs using CD25 and CD127 staining. Then, memory cells were selected as CD45RA^- and CCR4 and CCR8 expression was evaluated within the memory population. Within the CCR4⁺ subsets, Th1 were defined as CXCR3⁺CCR6^-, Th2 as CXCR3^-CCR6^-, Th17 as CXCR3^-CCR6⁺ and Th1/17 CXCR3⁺CCR6⁺. (B) Comparison of the Treg/Teff ratio and percentages of Tregs and Teff between OSCC patients and patients without malignancy. (C) Comparison of memory Tregs and Teff between OSCC patients and patients without malignancy. (D) Comparison of CCR4 expression within the memory Treg and Teff population between OSCC patients and patients without malignancy. (E) Comparison of tissue resident memory CCR4⁺ Th-like Tregs and Th-like Teff between OSCC patients and patients without malignancy. (F) Representative dot plots and comparison of CCR8 expression within the memory Treg and Teff population OSCC patients and patients without malignancy. Data are presented as mean ± SEM using bars with scatter dot plots (Unpaired t test). For all statistical tests, ^∗∗∗p < 0.001, ^∗∗p < 0.01 and ^∗p < 0.05 were considered significant.