Among proliferative leukoplakia cases, higher PD-L1 CPS predicted higher median PD-1+ CD8+ T-cell abundance (PD-L1 CPS > 5, 118.3 cells/mm2; CPS 1–5, 43.5 cells/mm2; CPS < 1, 16.8 cells/mm2). Here, CD8A is linked to leukoplakia.