TY - JOUR AB - Systemic immunity mediated by circulating immune cells may affect clinical features, as well as the characteristics of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The present study aimed to analyze the influence of circulating immune cells, using their markers, on clinical features to investigate the association between systemic immunity and the molecular characteristics of CTCs. Circulating immune‑cell markers were associated with disease progression and clinical outcomes in patients with HNSCC. Meanwhile, there was no significant association between the presence of CTCs and systemic immune‑related markers. Moreover, phosphatidylinositol‑4,5‑bisphosphate 3‑kinase catalytic subunit a expression in CTCs was significantly associated with higher lymphocyte counts (P=0.035) and an increased prognostic nutrition index (P=0.0157). Patients with CTCs expressing CD47 exhibited significantly higher neutrophil (P=0.0031) and monocyte (P=0.0016) counts. Patients with CTCs expressing programmed cell death 1 ligand 2 exhibited lower C‑reactive protein (CRP) levels (P=0.0271) and a decreased CRP/albumin ratio (P=0.0207). The current results suggested that the interaction between CTCs and circulating immune cells may provide survival advantages via molecular alterations to CTCs. AD - Department of Otolaryngology‑Head and Neck Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 3718511, Japan AU - Tada,Hiroe AU - Nagata,Yurino AU - Takahashi,Hideyuki AU - Matsuyama,Toshiyuki AU - Ida,Shota AU - Mito,Ikko AU - Chikamatsu,Kazuaki DA - 2021/07/01 DO - 10.3892/mco.2021.2309 IS - 1 JO - Mol Clin Oncol KW - circulating tumor cell head and neck squamous cell carcinoma circulating immune cells systemic immunity molecular characteristics PY - 2021 SN - 2049-9450 2049-9469 SP - 147 ST - Systemic immune responses are associated with molecular characteristics of circulating tumor cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma T2 - Molecular and Clinical Oncology TI - Systemic immune responses are associated with molecular characteristics of circulating tumor cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2021.2309 VL - 15 ER -