Project description:BackgroundThe application of regorafenib has changed the landscape of subsequent-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as two of the most common inflammatory factors, are suggested to be potential prognostic factors for mCRC patients treated with regorafenib, but the results are conflicting. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of NLR and CRP in mCRC patients treated with regorafenib.MethodsWe searched online databases such as Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane library up to April 2022, without language limitation, to identify clinical studies evaluating the prognostic role of NLR or CRP in regorafenib treated mCRC patients. The main endpoints were hazard ratio (HR) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The associations between NLR, CRP, and the above endpoints were extracted. Review Manager 5.4 was used to conduct the combined analysis. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was applied for assessing the quality of included studies. Heterogeneity was detected by chi-square-based Q test and I2 statistic, and publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's test.ResultsEight studies involving 1,287 cases were included, with 5 reporting survival outcomes based on NLR level and 4 reporting survival according to CRP level. The results of meta-analysis showed that the calculated HR of OS for subsequent-line regorafenib in mCRC patients with high versus low NLR was 2.52 [I2=52%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.75-3.64; P<0.00001]. The combined HR of PFS with high versus low baseline NLR was 2.11 (I2=12%, 95% CI: 1.80-2.48; P<0.00001). For patients with a high level of CRP, the OS was significantly shorter when compared with patients with a low level of CRP (I2=0%, HR =1.88; 95% CI: 1.55-2.29; P<0.00001).ConclusionsHigh level of NLR could be associated with OS in mCRC patients treated with regorafenib. It is suggested that the impact of regorafenib on OS may vary according to the baseline NLR.
Project description:IntroductionThe lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) is a new immunoinflammatory score and prognostic marker, but the relationship between this index and the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients remains controversial.Therefore, aim of the study was to assess the relationship between LCR and prognosis for colorectal cancer patients through a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for randomized controlled studies and observational studies on the relationship between LCR and prognosis of colorectal cancer patients, all searched from the date of database creation to January 6, 2022.Our primary endpoints observed were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of colorectal cancer patients, and secondary observables were basic characteristics of included studies, such as country, study duration, sample size, LCR threshold, and pathological characteristics of patients in each study, such as degree of differentiation, gender, tumor location, T stage, and lymphatic metastasis.ResultsA total of 10 case-control studies including 7068 patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were worse in colorectal cancer patients with lower levels of LCR (HR=0.44, 95% CI=0.38-0.52, P<0.001; HR=0.56, 95% CI=0.41-0.76, P< 0.001).Subgroup analysis based on country, study length, sample size, and LCR threshold showed that lower levels of LCR were all associated with poorer OS (P < 0.05). Regarding pathological characteristics, patients in the low LCR group were generally poorly differentiated (OR=1.79, 95% CI=1.55-2.07, P<0.001), while there was no significant relationship with gender, tumor location, T stage, and lymphatic metastasis (P>0.05).Discussion/conclusionLCR can be used as a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer patients, and patients with lower levels of LCR may have a poor prognosis. Due to the limitation of the number and quality of the included studies, the above findings need to be validated by more high-quality studies.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022296563.
Project description:We investigated the prognostic utility of pre-chemotherapy neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs) undergoing first-line chemotherapy. We utilized two institutional databases to analyze the pretreatment-derived NLR (dNLR). Predictive accuracy was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for the international germ cell cancer collaborative group (IGCCCG) risk classification. Discriminatory accuracy was evaluated by determining the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). In total, 569 of 690 patients had available dNLR (IGCCCG: good, 64%; intermediate, 21%; poor, 16%). The 5-year and 10-year overall survivals (OSs) for good, intermediate, and poor risk groups were 96.2%, 92.8%, and 62.7% and 93.9%, 90.3%, and 62.7%, respectively. A dNLR of 2 provided the best discriminatory accuracy with an AUROC of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.52-0.65, p = 0.01) for progression-free survival (PFS), whereas for OS, a dNLR of 3 provided the best discriminatory accuracy with an AUROC of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.53-0.70, p < 0.01). A dNLR > 2 was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.99 (95% CI: 1.27-3.12, p < 0.01) for PFS, which lost its effect after adjustment for IGCCCG (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.90-2.30, p = 0.13). For OS, a dNLR >3 was associated with an HR of 3.00 (95% CI: 1.79-5.01, p < 0.01), but lost its effect after adjustment for IGCCCG. Systemic inflammation plays a role in metastatic GCT, but its prognostic utility beyond established algorithms is limited. The general prognostic value of NLR can be seen across a number of tumors, although the consistency and magnitude of the effect differ according to cancer type, disease stage, and treatment received. We identified that an elevated NLR was associated with an adverse PFS and OS, but not independent of the IGCCCG risk classification. dNLRs >2 and >3 were associated with an adverse PFS and OS, respectively, in patients with metastatic GCT receiving first-line chemotherapy, but not independent of the IGCCCG risk classification.
Project description:Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and is associated with considerable mortality, for which clinicians are seeking useful and easily obtained biomarkers for prognostic evaluation. This study aimed to determine the potential role of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as prognostic makers for hospital mortality in patients with AECOPD.We included 303 patients with AECOPD in this retrospective study. Clinical characteristics, NLR, PLR, and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other data were collected. Relationships between NLR/PLR and CRP were evaluated by Pearson's correlation test. Receiver operating characteristics curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the ability of NLR and PLR to predict hospital mortality in patients with AECOPD.Mean levels of NLR and PLR of all patients with AECOPD were 7.92±8.79 and 207.21±148.47, respectively. NLR levels correlated with serum CRP levels (r=0.281, P<0.05). The overall hospital mortality rate was 12.21% (37/303). Levels of NLR and PLR were signifi-cantly higher among non-survivors compared to survivors of AECOPD (both P<0.05). At a cut-off value of 6.24, the sensitivity and specificity of the NLR in predicting hospital mortality were 81.08% and 69.17%, respectively, with an AUC of 0.803. At a cut-off of 182.68, the corresponding sensitivity, specificity and AUC of PLR were 64.86%, 58.27%, and 0.639. The combination of NLR, PLR, and CRP increased the prognostic sensitivity.NLR and PLR levels were increased in non-survivor patients with AECOPD, and the NLR may be simple and useful prognostic marker for hospital mortality in patients with AECOPD. More studies should be carried out to confirm our findings.
Project description:Background: The prognostic value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and the combined NLR-PLR score in patients with stage IV gastric carcinoma (GC) has not yet been clarified. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential association of NLR, PLR, and NLR-PLR score with the prognosis of patients with stage IV GC. Methods: This retrospective study included 466 patients with GC diagnosed between 2010 and 2017. High NLR and high PLR were defined using the median values as the cutoff values. We then combined the NLR and PLR value and generated the NLR-PLR score as a new biomarker. Patients were divided into three groups according to their NLR-PLR score. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare survival outcomes. Results: Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 15.5 months (range, 0.7-96.8 months) and 6.7 months (range, 0.5-30.4 months), respectively. The NLR, PLR, and the NLR-PLR scores were correlated with clinical outcomes such as OS and PFS. Median OS for patients with NLR-PLR scores of 0, 1, and 2 was 22.5, 15.7, and 11.2 months, respectively. Median PFS for patients with these NLR-PLR scores of 0, 1, and 2 was 7.8, 7.1, and 5.2 months, respectively (P < 0.001). High NLR-PLR scores predicted poor survival in patients with stage IV GC (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings provide scientific evidence to support that the NLR-PLR score may be able to independently predict survival outcomes in patients with stage IV GC.
Project description:BackgroundHigh circulating neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) appears to be prognostic in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We investigated the relationship of NLR with circulating cytokines and molecular alterations.MethodsWe performed retrospective analyses on multiple cohorts of CRC patients (metastatic untreated (n=166), refractory metastatic (n=161), hepatectomy (n=198), stage 2/3 (n=274), and molecularly screened (n=342)). High NLR (ratio of absolute neutrophil-to-lymphocyte counts in peripheral blood) was defined as NLR>5. Plasma cytokines were evaluated using multiplex-bead assays. Kaplan-Meier estimates, non-parametric correlation analysis, and hierarchical cluster analyses were used.ResultsHigh NLR was associated with poor prognosis in mCRC (hazard ratio (HR) 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.03-2.89; P=0.039) independent of known prognostic factors and molecular alterations (KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA/CIMP). High NLR correlated with increased expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-2Rα, hepatocyte growth factor, macrophage-colony stimulating factor, and vascular epidermal growth factor in exploratory (n=39) and validation (n=166) cohorts. Fourteen additional cytokines correlated with high NLR in the validation cohort. All 20 cytokines fell into three major clusters: inflammatory cytokines, angiogenic cytokines, and epidermal growth factor ligands. In mCRC, composite stratification based on NLR-cytokine score provided enhanced prognostic information (HR 2.09; 95% CI: 1.59-2.76; P<0.001) over and above NLR.ConclusionsHigh NLR is an independent poor prognostic marker in CRC and correlates with a distinct cytokine profile related to key biological processes involved in carcinogenesis. A composite NLR-cytokine stratification has enhanced prognostic value in mCRC.
Project description:BackgroundInflammatory markers are used to predict prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Previous reports of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and NPC mortality are inconsistent. This study aimed to quantify the prognostic impact of NLR on NPC.MethodsThe primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and the secondary outcomes were disease-specific survival (DSS), progression-free survival (PFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). We systematically searched electronic databases, identified articles reporting an association between NLR and NPC prognosis. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted, and pooled HRs for each outcome were estimated using random effect models.ResultsNine studies enrolling 5397 patients were included in the analyses. NLR greater than the cutoff value was associated with poor overall survival (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.27-1.78), disease-specific survival (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.22-1.71), progression-free survival (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.22-1.90), and distant metastasis-free survival (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.14-2.95).ConclusionsElevated NLR predicts worse OS, DSS, PFS and DMFS in patients with NPC.
Project description:This study aimed to examine the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and other clinicopathological features in HER2+ MBC patients who received first-line anti-HER2 therapy. A total of 129 patients were assigned to NLR-low and NLR-high groups based on a cutoff value of 3.0 at baseline. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and gene mutations in circulating tumor DNA were analyzed by flow cytometry and Next-generation sequencing, respectively. Survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Of the 129 patients, 77 and 52 were assigned to the NLR-low (≤3) and NLR-high (>3) groups, respectively. Compared with NLR-high patients, the NLR-low patients had significantly longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (11.7 vs. 7.7 months) (p = 0.001, HR = 2.703 95% CI 1.543-4.736 and overall survival (OS) (37.4 vs. 28.7 months) (p = 0.044, HR = 2.254 95% CI 1.024-4.924). Furthermore, this association was independent of metastatic sites or estrogen receptor status. Peripheral blood CD3+ (p = 0.034) and CD4+ (p = 0.010) T cell numbers were significantly higher in the NLR-low group than the NLR-high group. The mutational profile of MBC was generally similar between the two groups. Baseline NLR was a prognostic factor of PFS and OS for patients with HER2+ MBC in the first-line setting. These results may facilitate the selection of patients who will benefit most from anti-HER2 treatment.
Project description:PurposeWe aimed to investigate the prognostic role of baseline and longitudinal levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with chemotherapy + bevacizumab (CT + B) or chemotherapy only. Additionally, we investigated whether treatment outcomes were mediated by the longitudinal biomarker.MethodsData from an Italian randomized phase III trial were used. The main end point was progression-free survival (PFS). To address research questions, a series of joint models of longitudinal and survival data were specified, and the direct and indirect treatment effects were quantified.ResultsData for 239 patients, 113 (47.3%) treated with CT + B and 126 (52.7%) with CT only, were included in the analyses. The effect of NLR seemed to be mediated by the longitudinal trajectory of the biomarker. Only in the patient subgroup treated with CT + B, the baseline NLR retained a direct effect on PFS. Regarding the effect of treatment on PFS, two scenarios were observed. In the subgroup of patients with low baseline, NLR bevacizumab showed a direct protective effect only (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66 [95% CI, 0.45 to 0.98]), whereas in the subgroup with high baseline NLR, there was evidence for an adverse direct effect (HR, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.03 to 2.57]) and a protective indirect-which is mediated by the longitudinal biomarker-effect (HR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.55 to 0.90]).ConclusionIn our study, inflammatory indexes collected longitudinally showed a significant adverse prognostic role, thus suggesting the collection and use of such data for better clinical decision making. In the specific setting, we considered this is particularly important as the treatment effect seemed to be modified by both the baseline and longitudinal inflammation statuses. However, further research is needed to understand the possible factors underlying these results.