Compared to the high-risk patients, the low-risk HNSCC patients had higher marker expression of naive B cells (P < 0.001), plasma cells (P < 0.05), CD8 T cells (P < 0.001), follicular helper T cells (P < 0.01), regulatory T cells (Tregs, P < 0.001), gamma delta T cells (P < 0.01), resting mast cells (P < 0.05), and neutrophils (P < 0.001), however, lower marker expression of resting NK cells (P < 0.01), M0 macrophages (P < 0.05), M2 macrophages P < 0.05), activated mast cells (P < 0.05), and eosinophils (P < 0.01; Supplementary Figure 7). Here, CD8A is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.