Background/Objectives: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) represents a challenging clinical entity with variable prognosis. Audiometric curve configuration has been proposed as a predictor of recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the association between audiogram morphology at onset and hearing outcome in patients with idiopathic unilateral SSNHL treated with standardized therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 156 patients with idiopathic SSNHL. Hearing thresholds at key frequencies were measured at baseline and 4 weeks post-treatment. Patients were categorized into upsloping, flat, downsloping, or U-shaped audiogram subgroups. Recovery was classified into four levels. Comparisons were made across subgroups for audiometric and laboratory data using ANOVA and chi-square tests. Results: Baseline PTA values were comparable across audiogram subgroups (p = 0.12). Hearing recovery differed significantly according to audiogram configuration (chi-square, p < 0.001), with upsloping and U-shaped patterns showing the best outcomes. Flat and downsloping curves were associated with poorer recovery, lower HDL, and elevated NLR values. Conclusions: Audiogram configuration is a relevant prognostic marker in SSNHL. Patterns linked to adverse metabolic and inflammatory profiles may benefit from tailored treatment strategies in a personalized medicine framework.

In the article titled “Prognostic Role of Serum Amino Acids in Head and Neck Cancer” [1], authors Carlo Chiarla and Ivo Giovannini were affiliated to “Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy” which is incorrect. The correct affiliation for both aforementioned authors is “CNR-IASI Centro di Studio per la Fisiopatologia dello Shock e Biomatematica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.” This has now been corrected in the author and affiliation details shown above.

Objective: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent form of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Traditional treatments include surgery and radiotherapy/chemotherapy, but these often have limited efficacy. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option. Recognition of novel biomarkers for immune checkpoints modulation could be helpful for establishing a personalized treatment for OSCC patients. Recently we showed that HNSCC epithelial cells acquire the ability to express class II MHC, HLA-DR. We aimed to investigate HLA-DR role in relation to the presence of the tumor microenvironment represented by CAFs. In addition, since programmed death-ligand 1 protein (PD-L1) is a critical target for cancer immunotherapy in HNSCC, we evaluated HLA-DR and PD-L1 level in healthy and OSCC tissues. Methods: Biopsy specimens from five OSCC patients were used to isolate tumor cells, normal fibroblast and CAFs. HLA-DR expression was evaluated. Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to evaluate HLA-DR and PD-L1 level in normal tissues and HNSCC derived biopsies. Results: Epithelial cancer cells showed de-novo HLA-DR expression. Importantly, HLA-DR expression was observed in both CAFs and normal fibroblasts with a significant higher level in CAFs. Atlas analysis showed an increase of HLA-DR and PD-L1 expression in HNSCC derived biopsies vs normal tissues and a positive correlation between HLA-DR and PD-L1 in cancer samples. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted that tumoral environment could affect OSCC cells inducing HLA-DR expression in non-APC tumoral and CAFs cells. The correlation between PD-L1 and HLA-DR expression has been observed, providing useful insights in targeted immunotherapy strategies for OSCC management.