As IFNα can be secreted by all the nucleated cells, our results of the correlation of high IFNAR1 expression with an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (low CD8, CD56 and high PDL1 expression), may help to explain why high IFNAR1 expression is an independent indicator of poor prognosis of HNSCC. Here, CD8A is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.