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:Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab has been approved as the first-line systemic treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). This study was designed to assess the clinical impact of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in uHCC patients. A total of 48 uHCC patients receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab were identified, including first-line, second-line, third-line, and later-line settings. In these patients, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.0 months, including 5.0 months for the first-line treatment, not reached for the second-line treatment, and 2.5 months for the third line and later line treatment. The objective response rate and disease control rate to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab were 27.1% and 68.8%, respectively. The severity of most adverse events was predominantly grade 1-2, and most patients tolerated the toxicities. The ratios of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) were used to predict PFS in these patients. The optimal cutoff values of NLR and PLR were 3 and 230, and NLR and PLR were independent prognostic factors for superior PFS in the univariate and multivariate analyses. Our study confirms the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in uHCC patients in clinical practice and demonstrates the prognostic role of NLR and PLR for PFS in these patients.
Project description:ObjectivePreoperative inflammatory parameters are associated with outcome in renal cell carcinoma; however, their predictive value in tumors with sarcomatoid dedifferentiation (sRCC) is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative and postoperative inflammatory parameters and the outcome of patients with locoregional and metastatic sRCC who underwent nephrectomy.Methods and materialsAfter obtaining IRB approval, we identified 230 patients with sRCC treated between 1994 and 2018 with a complete blood count drawn ≤1 month before nephrectomy. Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio, and platelet-lymphocyte ratio were evaluated as continuous variables. Postoperative NLR, 1 to 8 weeks after surgery, and percentage change in NLR were calculated. Cox regression models were used to identify predictors of outcome.ResultsThe study cohort included 105 metastatic patients and 112 patients with locoregional disease. Patients with metastatic disease had significantly higher preoperative NLR (4.31 vs. 3.29) and PLR (248 vs. 194), and lower preoperative LMR (2.6 vs. 3.23). Median follow-up for patients with locoregional and metastatic disease was 36 months and 20 months, respectively, and estimated 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates were 56% and 15%, respectively. Preoperative NLR was a significant predictor of CSS for both metastatic (HR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.1-1.37, P < 0.001) and locoregional (HR = 1.09, 95% CI 1-1.2, P = 0.049) patients. For metastatic patients, postoperative NLR was significantly associated with CSS on univariate analysis; however, change in NLR was not associated with outcome.ConclusionsPreoperative NLR is associated with CSS in locoregional and metastatic sRCC. NLR should be considered when establishing future predictive models for sRCC.
Project description:BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common pathological type of primary liver cancer. The lack of prognosis indicators is one of the challenges in HCC. In this study, we investigated the combination of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) and several systemic inflammation parameters as a prognosis indicator for HCC.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively recruited 126 postoperative patients with primary HCC. The paraffin section was collected for TLS density assessment. In addition, we collected the systemic inflammation parameters from peripheral blood samples. We evaluated the prognostic values of those parameters on overall survival (OS) using Kaplan-Meier curves, univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Last, we plotted a nomogram to predict the survival of HCC patients.ResultsWe first found TLS density was positively correlated with HCC patients' survival (HR=0.16, 95% CI: 0.06 - 0.39, p < 0.0001), but the power of TLS density for survival prediction was found to be limited (AUC=0.776, 95% CI:0.772 - 0.806). Thus, we further introduced several systemic inflammation parameters for survival analysis, we found neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was positively associated with OS in univariate Cox regression analysis. However, the combination of TLS density and NLR better predicts patient's survival (AUC=0.800, 95% CI: 0.698-0.902, p < 0.001) compared with using any single indicator alone. Last, we incorporated TLS density, NLR, and other parameters into the nomogram to provide a reproducible approach for survival prediction in HCC clinical practice.ConclusionThe combination of TLS density and NLR was shown to be a good predictor of HCC patient survival. It also provides a novel direction for the evaluation of immunotherapies in HCC.
Project description:The clinical impact of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) remain unclear, and additional large-scale studies are required. This retrospective study evaluated outcomes in treatment-naïve patients who received TACE as first-line treatment for intermediate-stage HCC between 2008 and 2017. Patients who underwent TACE before and after 2013 were assigned to the development (n = 495) and validation (n = 436) cohorts, respectively. Multivariable Cox analysis identified six factors predictive of outcome, including NLR, which were used to create models predictive of overall survival (OS) in the development cohort. Risk scores of 0-3, 4-7, and 8-12 were defined as low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively. Median OS times in the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups in the validation cohort were 48.1, 24.3, and 9.7 months, respectively (p < 0.001). Application to the validation cohort of time-dependent ROC curves for models predictive of OS showed AUC values of 0.72 and 0.70 at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that NLR ≥ 3 was a significant predictor (odds ratio, 3.4; p < 0.001) of disease progression 6 months after TACE. Higher baseline NLR was predictive of poor prognosis in patients who underwent TACE for intermediate-stage HCC.
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:Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biomarker of the systemic inflammatory response. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to examine the literature on NLR and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Specialized Register, DOAJ, PDQT, Biosis Citation Index, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched. A total of 2621 citations yielding 62 primary studies were synthesized under four categories: distinguishing patients with IBD from controls, disease activity differentiation, clinical outcome prediction, and association of NLR with other IBD biomarkers. Thirty-eight studies employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to generate optimal NLR cutpoints for applications including disease activity differentiation and prediction of response to treatment. Among the most promising findings, NLR may have utility for clinical and endoscopic disease activity differentiation and prediction of loss of response to infliximab (IFX). Overall findings suggest NLR may be a promising IBD biomarker. Assessment of NLR is non-invasive, low cost, and widely accessible given NLR is easily calculated from blood count data routinely and serially monitored in patients with IBD. Further research is justified to elucidate how evaluation of NLR in research and clinical practice would directly impact the quality and cost of care for patients living with IBD.
Project description:BackgroundThe neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a presumed measure of the balance between neutrophil-associated pro-tumour inflammation and lymphocyte-dependent antitumour immune function, has been suggested as a prognostic factor for several cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsIn this study, a prospectively accrued cohort of 781 patients (493 HCC and 288 chronic liver disease (CLD) without HCC) were followed-up for more than 6 years. NLR levels between HCC and CLD patients were compared, and the effect of baseline NLR on overall survival amongst HCC patients was assessed via multivariable Cox regression analysis.ResultsOn entry into the study ('baseline'), there was no clinically significant difference in the NLR values between CLD and HCC patients. Amongst HCC patients, NLR levels closest to last visit/death were significantly higher compared to baseline. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that NLR was an independent prognostic factor, even after adjustment for the HCC stage.ConclusionNLR is a significant independent factor influencing survival in HCC patients, hence offering an additional dimension in prognostic models.