Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumors from heavy alcohol consumers are associated with higher levels of TLR9 and a particular immunophenotype: Impact on patient survival.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most frequent types of oral cancer in developing countries and its burden correlates with exposure to tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. Toll like receptors (TLRs) are major sensors of inflammatory stimuli, from both microbial and sterile causes and as such, they have been related to tumor progression and metastasis. Here, we evaluated the expression of TLR2, 4 and 9 as well as CD3+, CD8+ and Granzyme B+ cell infiltration by immunohistochemistry in oral samples of 30 patients with OSCC, classified according to their consumption of alcohol.