头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是全球最具侵略性的癌症之一，转移是其主要死亡原因。最近的研究表明，MRC2（甘露糖受体C型2）表达的改变可能在各种癌症的发展和进展中起到作用；然而，它在HNSCC/OSCC中的表达模式尚不清楚。本研究旨在阐明MRC2在HNSCC，包括OSCC中的临床病理意义和预后作用。在本研究中，我们通过使用不同的生物信息学数据库评估了MRC2在HNSCC患者中的表达、预后价值、免疫浸润和功能富集分析的潜在作用。然后，我们使用定量逆转录PCR（RT-qPCR）验证了30例OSCC和正常组织样本中MRC2基因的表达。与相邻正常组织相比，OSCC和HNSCC患者的MRC2 mRNA和蛋白表达显著上调。上调的MRC2表达与较差的总生存率相关。增高的MRC2表达还与侵袭性临床病理特征（包括晚期、分级、转移和HPV状态）相关联。有趣的是，我们的计算结果强烈暗示MRC2基因和蛋白相互作用网络与HNSCC的发展相关。此外，肿瘤浸润水平与HPV阴性HNSCC患者显著相关。我们的结果表明，MRC2可能成为HNSCC的新的预后标志物和治疗靶点。版权所有 © 2023。由Elsevier Masson SAS出版。

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most aggressive types of cancers worldwide, with metastasis being the major cause of death. Recent research suggests that changes in the expression of MRC2 (mannose receptor, C-type 2) may play a role in the development and progression of various cancers; however, its expression pattern in HNSCC/ OSCC is unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological significance and prognostic role of MRC2 expression in HNSCC, including OSCC.In the present study, we assessed the potential roles of MRC2 in expression, prognostic value, immune infiltration and functional enrichment analysis in HNSCC patients by using different bioinformatics databases. We then validated MRC2 gene expression in 30 OSCC and adjacent normal tissue samples using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR).MRC2 mRNA and protein expression were significantly upregulated in OSCC and HNSCC patients compared to that in adjacent normal tissues. Upregulated MRC2 expression was associated with poor overall survival. Increased MRC2 expression has also been linked to an aggressive clinicopathological features including advanced stages, grade, metastasis and HPV status. Interestingly, our in silico results strongly suggest that the MRC2 gene and protein interaction networks are associated with HNSCC development. Moreover, the tumor infiltration level was significantly correlated with HPV-negative HNSCC patients.Our results suggest that MRC2 could be used as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HNSCC.Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.