{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,11]],"date-time":"2026-07-11T01:23:47Z","timestamp":1783733027042,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753228800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)","award":["18H03008"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18H03008"]}]},{"name":"Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)","award":["23K09385"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23K09385"]}]},{"name":"Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)","award":["22K10113"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22K10113"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001691","name":"Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["18H03008"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18H03008"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001691","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001691","name":"Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["23K09385"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23K09385"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001691","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001691","name":"Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["22K10113"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22K10113"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001691","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The immune landscape of tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) plays a critical role in shaping antitumor responses and influencing prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Among patients with lymph node (LN) metastasis, clinical outcomes vary widely, yet reliable biomarkers for prognostic stratification remain limited. This study aimed to identify immune features in tumors and LNs that differentiate between favorable and poor outcomes in OSCC patients with nodal metastasis. We analyzed T cell receptor (TCR) CDR3 repertoires and the expression of immune-related genes in primary tumors and paired sentinel LNs from OSCC patients who underwent tumor resection and lymphadenectomy. Patients were divided into three groups: Group A (no nodal metastasis), Group B1 (metastasis without recurrence), and Group B2 (metastasis with recurrence). TCR diversity was assessed using the Shannon index. The expression of immune-related genes (e.g., CD3E, CD4, CD8B, FOXP3, CTLA4, IL2, IL4) was measured by quantitative PCR and normalized to GAPDH. TCR diversity was lower in tumors than in non-metastatic LNs, reflecting clonal expansion. Metastatic LNs exhibited tumor-like diversity, suggesting infiltration by tumor-reactive clones. Tumor gene expression did not differ across groups, but LNs from metastatic cases showed the reduced expression of several immune genes. Notably, CD3E, CD8B, CTLA4, IL2, and IL4 distinguished B1 from B2. The immune profiling of LNs offers superior prognostic value over tumor analysis in OSCC patients with LN metastasis. LN-based evaluation may aid in postoperative risk stratification and personalized postoperative management and could inform decisions regarding adjuvant therapy and follow-up strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26157073","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T08:02:06Z","timestamp":1753257726000},"page":"7073","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Prognostic Implications of T Cell Receptor Repertoire Diversity in Cervical Lymph Nodes of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Kenichi","family":"Kumagai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yoshiki","family":"Hamada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akihisa","family":"Horie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, 1-1 Kizukisumiyoshicho, Kawasaki 211-8510, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yudai","family":"Shimizu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yoshihiro","family":"Ohashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, 1-1 Kizukisumiyoshicho, Kawasaki 211-8510, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Reo","family":"Aoki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, 1-1 Kizukisumiyoshicho, Kawasaki 211-8510, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2000-1660","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Taiki","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, 1-1 Kizukisumiyoshicho, Kawasaki 211-8510, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Koji","family":"Kawaguchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akihiro","family":"Kuroda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1647-342X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Takahiro","family":"Tsujikawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 465 Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kazuto","family":"Hoshi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2631-3040","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kazuhiro","family":"Kakimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"209","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"71","author":"Sung","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA A Cancer J. 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