Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells combined with neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cell(CTC)count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)are both closely associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To investigate the prognostic value of combining these two indicators in HCC.METHODS Clinical data were collected from patients with advanced HCC who received im-mune therapy combined with targeted therapy at the Department of Oncology,the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University,Sichuan,China,from 2021 to 2023.The optimal cutoff values for CTC programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)(+)>1 or CTC PD-L1(+)≤1 and NLR>3.89 or NLR≤3.89 were evaluated using X-Tile software.Patients were categorized into three groups based on CTC PD-L1(+)counts and NLR:CTC-NLR(0),CTC-NLR(1),and CTC-NLR(2).The relationship between CTC-NLR and clinical variables as well as survival rates was assessed.RESULTS Patients with high CTC PD-L1(+)expression or NLR at baseline had shorter median progression-free survival(m-PFS)and median overall survival(mOS)than those with low levels of CTC PD-L1(+)or NLR(P<0.001).Mean-while,patients in the CTC-NLR(2)group showed a significant decrease in mPFS and mOS.Cox regression analysis revealed that alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),CTC PD-L1(+),and CTC-NLR were independent predictors of OS.The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of CTC-NLR at 12 months(0.821)and 18 months(0.821)was superior to that of AFP and CTC PD-L1(+).CONCLUSION HCC patients with high CTC PD-L1(+)or NLR expression tend to exhibit poor prognosis,and a high baseline CTC-NLR score may indicate low survival.CTC-NLR may serve as an effective prognostic indicator for patients with advanced HCC receiving immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy.

Predictive Value of the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) to Predict the Development of Preeclampsia and Pregnancy Induced Hypertension at 1st Trimester

Introduction: Hypertensive disorder in pregnancy affects 4 to 6 percent of all pregnancies and carries risks for the both baby and the mother. Only a few groups of women who are at high-risk pregnancies are received prophylaxis Aspirin, more than 15 percent of women develop pre-eclampsia with a single minor risk factor. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the 1st trimester NLR value of normotensive, pregnancy induced hypertensive and pre-eclamptic pregnant women. The study was conducted with a sample of 416, antenatal patients who were admitted to ward 25, at Colombo North Teaching Hospital Ragama. Data was collected as separated three groups. NLR value was calculated separately and ANOVA test was used to analyze the 3 categorical data. Post HOC test was done to assess the multiple comparison. Results: The prevalence rates of pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia among the pregnant women were 8.6% and 5.7%. The mean NLR values of normotensive group was 2.708, pregnancy induced hypertensive group was 2.650 and pre eclamptic group was 3.789. There was a significant difference in NLR value between pre eclamptic group and other two groups with P value of Conclusion: The 1st trimester NLR value of pre eclamptic patients significantly increased compared to normotensive women.

Correlation of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio to severity of coronary artery disease and in-hospital clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A prospective observational study

Objective:To explore correlation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)to severity of coronary artery disease(CAD)and in-hospital clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods:In this prospective and observational study,we recruited 500 patients with ACS.For all the eligible patients,demographic details were collected,and laboratory parameters were evaluated.The CAD severity was evaluated in terms of the number of involved vessels.The NLR was calculated based on neutrophils and lymphocytes and the correlation of various risk factors and severity and outcome of CAD was performed.Results:77.2%of Patients was male,and 52%of the patients aged between 55-70 years.Based on the type of ACS,396 out of 500 patients had ST-elevation myocardial infarction.An ascending trend in the white blood cell levels and NLR value was noted as the severity of the ACS increased and the highest white blood cell levels and NLR was noted among classⅣpatients.The mean NLR value among the non-survivors were higher compared to the survivors(9.52±5.72 vs.4.76±2.36;P<0.01).Receiver operating curve showed that the cut-off NLR value was 5.76 with a sensitivity of 75.0%and a specificity of 77.3%.Conclusions:The NLR can be used as an independent prognostic marker in ACS.An elevated NLR value serves as a reliable predictor for short-term complications,notably in-hospital mortality.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) as Systemic Inflammatory Predictors in the Diagnosis of Bullous Pemphigoid and Pemphigus Vulgaris

Introduction: Autoimmune blistering skin disorders such as Bullous Pemphigoid and Pemphigus Vulgaris present diagnostic challenges. The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), are inflammatory markers used to assess the body’s immune-inflammatory response. Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the significance of hematologic markers, specifically the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), as diagnostic predictors of bullous pemphigoid (BP) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Methods: A retrospective study of 64 patients (36 with BP and 28 with PV). Patient clinical data: age, gender, complete blood count, autoimmune antibody levels (Dsg1, 3 and BP180, 230), IgE and C-reactive protein, and history of hypertension, diabetes, brain infarction, and coronary heart disease. The data was analyzed using SPSS. Results: The study involved 36 (56.3%) diagnosed with bullous pemphigoid (BP) and 28 (43.75%) with pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The average age in BP was 71 ± 8 and 52 ± 13 in PV. Laboratory findings showed high levels of Dsg1, Dsg3, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count in PV, while high levels of eosinophils with a significant increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) in BP. Blood biomarkers, including NLR, PLR, SII, MPV, CRP, and IgE, proved an overall of 84.4% in disease prediction. Dsg1, Dsg3, BP180, and BP230 showed an overall of 88.1%. No significant relationship was noted between NLR, SII, and patients with comorbidities. Conclusion: The study highlights the diagnostic potential of SII and NLR in addition to hematologic markers in BP and PV, emphasizing their role in early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions, requiring further validation in larger patient cohorts.

Role of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio as a predictive marker for diabetic coronary artery disease: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND The lymphocyte to monocyte ratio(LMR)is considered a marker of systemic inflammation in cardiovascular disease and acts as predictor of mortality in coronary artery disease.AIM To investigate the predictive role of LMR in diabetic coronary artery disease patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at tertiary care super-specialty hospital at New Delhi,India.A total of 200 angiography-proven coronary artery disease(CAD)patients were enrolled and grouped into two categories:Group I[CAD patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels≥6.5%],and Group II(CAD patients without T2DM and HbA1c levels<6.5%).Serum lipoproteins,HbA1c,and complete blood count of enrolled patients were analyzed using fully automatic analyzers.RESULTS The logistic regression analysis showed an odds ratio of 1.48(95%CI:1.28-1.72,P<0.05)for diabetic coronary artery disease patients(Group I)in unadjusted model.After adjusting for age,gender,diet,smoking,and hypertension history,the odds ratio increased to 1.49(95%CI:1.29-1.74,P<0.01)in close association with LMR.Further adjustment for high cholesterol and triglycerides yielded the same odds ratio of 1.49(95%CI:1.27-1.75,P<0.01).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed 74%sensitivity,64%specificity,and 0.74 area under the curve(95%CI:0.67-0.80,P<0.001),suggesting moderate predictive accuracy for diabetic CAD patients.CONCLUSION LMR showed positive association with diabetic coronary artery disease,with moderate predictive accuracy.These findings have implications for improving CAD management in diabetics,necessitating further research and targeted interventions.

Analysis of the Peripheral Blood Helper T-Cell 17- Cell Level and Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio for Colorectal Cancer Prognosis Prediction

Objective: To investigate the value of peripheral blood helper T cell 17 cell level and monocyte/lymphocyte ratio to predict the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. Methods: 74 colorectal cancer patients who attended Hospital 960 from January 2021 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data of the patients were collected, including gender, age, and histologic type. Immunohistochemical indexes such as Th17 cell level and monocyte/ lymphocyte ratio in the peripheral blood of patients were also collected. The prognosis of patients after treatment, as well as peripheral blood Th17 and MLR levels, were observed and analyzed. Results: After follow-up after treatment, in the final 74 patients, the prognosis was good in 32 patients, accounting for 43.24%, and the prognosis was bad in 42 patients, accounting for 56.76%. There were no significant differences between the average age and tumor diameters of the good prognosis and poor prognosis groups (P > 0.05). However, the TNM staging, intervention taken, differentiation degree, presence of distant metastasis, presence of lymph node metastasis, Th17 level, and MLR level are significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Peripheral blood Th17 and MLR have predictive value for the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients, and high levels of peripheral blood Th17 and MLR imply poor prognosis. The detection of peripheral blood Th17 and MLR levels is simple and convenient and can be used as indicators to provide a reference for the prognostic assessment of colorectal cancer patients.

Pretreatment Neutrophil/Lymphocytes Ratio in Non-Metastatic Colon Cancer as a Prognostic and Predictive Factor: A Retrospective Study

Background: In developed countries, colon cancer is the second most prevalent cancer, only exceeded by prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. After Hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and brain tumors, colon cancer is the 7th most common cancer in Egypt, in both sexes, representing 3.47% and 3%, in both male and female cancers, respectively. Aim of the Work: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic and predictive significance of pretreatment Neutrophil/lymphocytes ratio (NLR), in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence, in high-risk stage II and stage III Colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 103 patients, who were submitted to upfront surgery as first therapeutic option in curative intent, between January 2017 and December 2018. Pretreatment Neutrophil/lymphocytes ratio (NLR), as well as demographics, clinical, histopathologic, and laboratory data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify prognostic factors associated with disease free survival (DFS) and recurrence. Results: The cutoff point of Neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio (NLR) was calculated with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test to 3. This study revealed that neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio (NLR) was significantly associated with disease free survival (p as no difference in efficacy between both chemotherapy regimens FOLFOX and XELOX in both high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer regarding disease free survival & the toxicity profile associated with each regimen and its grades between patients. Conclusion: Our study suggests that preoperative Neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio (NLR) more than 3 may be an independent prognostic marker for TTR (time to recurrence) in high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer patients.

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Objective: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous, hematologic malignancy at which short survival may be seen. Our study aims to evaluate the effect of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on the course of the disease, response to therapy, and overall survival (OS). Materials and Methods: A total of 124 patients followed-up with the diagnosis of AML from 2016 to 2019 were retrospectively examined. Results: 69 of the cases (55.6%) were men and 55 (44.3%) were women. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 53.44 ± 30.3 years old. We determined the NLR as median 0.46 (0.16 - 1.1). In AML, 69 patients were responsive to the induction regimen (57.9%) while 46 patients were unresponsive (37.8%). 5 patients died before completing the regimen. D-dimer was found to be higher and fibrinogen was found to be lower in the responsive group. Lower OS was observed in cases of >60 years of age, male gender, non-APL AML, high NLR, and recurrence at diagnosis. Recurrences were detected in 23 patients (18.5%) and the median time to the recurrence was 416 (236 - 639) days. Fibrinogen level and the bone marrow blast ratio at the time of application were determined to be associated with recurrence. The median follow-up time was 856 (143 - 1276) days. Final condition analysis reveals that 74 patients (59.6%) are alive. Conclusion: We determined in our study that the NLR is effective on survival. Medical literature on this subject is scanty and prospective studies with large patient groups are needed.

Correlation between Neutrophil Percentage-to-albumin Ratio and Coronary Heart Disease Complicated with Diabetes Mellitus

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore the relationship between neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio(NPAR)and coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes.[Methods]A total of 603 patients with coronary heart disease who underwent coronary angiography in Pingquan County Hospital from January,2023 to December,2023 and met the inclusion criteria were included as the research object.All the patients were divided into a coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes group(CAD+T2DM group)(n=298 cases)and a control group(CAD group)(n=305 cases),according to patients medical history,heart color ultrasound and biochemical test results.The clinical data,biochemical test results and coronary artery imaging data of patients were recorded,and the Gensini score was calculated.The neutrophil percentage(NEUT%)and albumin count were determined to calculate NPAR.[Results]The NPAR value of the coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes mellitus group was(1.6±0.42),which was significantly higher than that of the control group(1.47±0.49),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve was 0.619(95%CI:0.591-0.675,P<0.05),and the prediction of coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes using NPAR showed a Youden index of 0.31,a sensitivity of 60.4%,a specificity of 40.3%,and a best cut-off score of 1.4506.[Conclusions]The neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio(NPAR)is closely related to coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes mellitus,and NPAR has clinical application value in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes mellitus.

Prognostic significance of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis

AIM:To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating theassociation between the peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR) and the outcome of patients with pancreatic cancer.METHODS:Studies evaluating the relationship between the peripheral blood NLR and outcome of patients with pancreatic cancer published up to May 2014 were searched using electronic databases, including Pub Med, Web of Science, Embase and Ovid.A meta-analysis was performed to pool the hazard ratios(HRs) or odds ratios(ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals(CIs) using either a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model to quantitatively assess the prognostic value of NLR and its association with clinicopathological parameters.RESULTS:Eleven studies containing a total of 1804 patients were eligible according to our selection criteria, and combined hazard ratios indicated that high NLR was a poor prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer patients because it had an unfavorable impact on the overall survival(OS)(HR =2.61, 95%CI:1.68-4.06, P =0.000) and cancer specific survival(HR =1.66, 95%CI:1.08-2.57, P =0.021).Subgroup analysis revealed that high NLR was associated with poor OS in patients with mixed treatment(HR =4.36, 95%CI:2.50-7.61, P =0.000), chemotherapy(HR =2.08, 95%CI:1.49-2.9, P =0.000), or surgical resection(HR =1.2, 95%CI:1.00-1.44, P =0.048).Additionally, high NLR was significantly correlated with tumor metastasis(OR =1.69, 95%CI:1.10-2.59, P =0.016), poor tumor differentiation(OR =2.75, 95%CI:1.19-6.36, P =0.016), poor performance status(OR =2.56, 95%CI:1.63-4.03, P =0.000), high cancer antigen 199(OR =2.62, 95%CI:1.49-4.60, P =0.000), high C-reactive protein(OR =4.32, 95%CI:2.71-6.87, P =0.000), and low albumin(OR =3.56, 95%CI:1.37-9.27, P =0.009).CONCLUSION:High peripheral blood NLR suggested a poor prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer,and it could be a novel marker of survival evaluation and could help clinicians develop therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer patients.

Is the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio associated with liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B?

AIM: To determine the association between the neutrophil to lymphocyte(N/L) ratio and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB) infection. METHODS: Between December 2011 and February 2013, 129 consecutive CHB patients who were admitted to the study hospitals for histological evaluation of chronic hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the fibrosis score: individuals with a fibrosis score of F0 or F1 were included in the "no/minimal liver fibrosis" group, whereas patients with a fibrosis score of F2, F3, or F4 were included in the "advanced liver fibrosis" group. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences 18.0 for Windows was used to analyze the data. A P value of < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.RESULTS: Three experienced and blinded pathologists evaluated the fibrotic status and inflammatory activity of 129 liver biopsy samples from the CHB patients. Following histopathological examination, the "no/minimal fibrosis" group included 79 individuals, while the "advanced fibrosis" group included 50 individuals. Mean(N/L) ratio levels were notably lower in patients with advanced fibrosis when compared with patients with no/minimal fibrosis. The mean value of the aspartate aminotransferase-platelet ratio index was markedly higher in cases with advanced fibrosis compared to those with no/minimal fibrosis.CONCLUSION: Reduced levels of the peripheral blood N/L ratio were found to give high sensitivity, specificity and predictive values in CHB patients with significant fibrosis. The prominent finding of our research suggests that the N/L ratio can be used as a novel noninvasive marker of fibrosis in patients with CHB.

Prognostic significance of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳcolorectal cancer

AIM To evaluate the prognostic value of the neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio(NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR) in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODS Between April 1996 and December 2010, medical records from a total of 1868 patients with CRC were retrospectively reviewed. The values of simple inflammatory markers including NLR and PLR in predicting the long-term outcomes of these patients were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models.RESULTS The median follow-up duration was 46 mo(interquartile range, 22-73). The estimation of NLR and PLR was based on the time of diagnosis. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high NLR (≥ 3.0) and high PLR(≥ 160) were independent risk factors predicting poor long-term outcomes in patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ CRC. However, high NLR and high PLR were not prognostic factors in patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ CRC.CONCLUSION In this study, we identified that high NLR (≥ 3.0) and high PLR (≥ 160) are useful prognostic factors to predict long-term outcomes in patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ CRC.

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio for In-hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Coronary artery disease （CAD） is a multifactorial disease in which inflammation plays a central role. This study aimed to investigate the association of inflammatory markers such as the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio （NLR）, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events （GRACE） score with in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction （AMI） in an attempt to explore the prognostic value of these indices for elderly AMI patients. One thousand consecutive CAD patients were divided into two groups based on age 60. The laboratory and clinical characteristics were assessed retrospectively by reviewing the medical records. The NLR and GRACE score were calculated. In the elderly （〉60 years）, patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction （NSTEMI） and ST-elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） had significantly higher NLR than did those with unstable angina （UA） and stable angina pectoris （SAP） （P〈0.01）. The NLR was considerably elevated in older AMI patients compared with their younger counterparts （〈60 years） （P〈0.05）. In elderly AMI patients, the NLR was considerably higher in the high-risk group than in both the low-risk and mediumrisk groups based on the GRACE score （P〈0.05 and P〈0.01, respectively）, and the NLR was positively correlated with the GRACE score （r=0.322, P〈0.001）. Either the NLR level or the GRACE score was significantly higher in the death group than in the surviving group （P〈0.05）. By curve receiver operator characteristic curve （ROC） analysis, the optimal cut-off levels of 9.41 for NLR and 174 for GRACE score predicted in-hospital death [ROC area under the curve （AUC） 0.771 and 0.787, respectively, P〈0.001]. It was concluded that an elevated NLR is a potential predictor of in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with AMI.

Preoperative Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio Cannot Predict Lymph Node Metastasis and Prognosis in Patients with Early Gastric Cancer:a Single Institution Investigation in China

In the present study,we aimed at exploring the applied value of preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and platelet lymphocyte ratio(PLR)in the prediction of lymph node metastasis(LNM)and prognosis in patients with early gastric cancer(EGC).We retrospectively analyzed a total of 248 consecutive patients who underwent curative gastrectomy to be identified T1 stage gastric adenocarcinoma between January 1,2010 and May 1,2016 in a single institution.According to median preoperative NLR and PLR value,we divided the patients into four groups:high NLR≥1.73 and low NLR〈1.73,high PLR≥117.78 and low PLR〈117.78.Furthermore,to evaluate the relationship between preoperative NLR and PLR values,we categorized patients according to cutoff preoperative NLR-PLR score of 2[high NLR(≥1.73)and high PLR(≥117.78)],1[either high NLR or high PLR],and 0[neither high NLR nor high PLR].Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 20.0 software.The results showed that the preoperative NLR or PLR values,lower or higher,could not predict the LNM in patients with EGC(both P=0.5440.05).The invasive depth of tumor was significantly correlated with LNM of EGC(P〈0.001).Kaplan-Meier plots illustrated that preoperative NLR and PLR values were not associated with overall survival(OS)in patients with EGC.It was concluded that the preoperative NLR and PLR may be the predictors for LNM and prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer;nevertheless,they cannot predict LNM and prognosis in patients with EGC.

Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio plus platelet-to-lymphocyte ratioin predicting survival for patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱgastric cancer

Background:The preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR) are associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer.We aimed to determine whether the combination of NLR and PLR(NLR-PLR) could better predict survival of patients after curative resection for stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ gastric cancer.Methods:We collected data from the medical records of patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ gastric cancer undergoing curative resection between December 2000 and November 2012 at the Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center.The preoperative NLRPLR was calculated as follows:patients with both elevated NLR(≥2.1) and PLR(≥ 120) were given a score of 2,and patients with only one or neither were given a score of 1 or 0,respectively.Results:Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests revealed significant differences in overall survival(OS) among patients with NLR-PLR scores of 0,1 and 2(P < 0.001).Multivariate analysis showed that OS was independently associated with the NLR-PLR score[hazard ratio(HR) = 1.51,95%confidence interval(CI) 1.02-2.24,P = 0.039]and TNM stage(HR = 1.36,95%CI 1.01-1.83,P= 0.041).However,other systemic inflammation-based prognostic scores,including the modified Glasgow prognostic score,the prognostic nutritional index,and the combination of platelet count and NLR,were not.In TNM stage-stratified analysis,the prognostic significance of NLR-PLR was maintained in patients with stage Ⅰ(P < 0.001) and stage Ⅱ cancers(P= 0.022).In addition,the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the NLR-PLR score was higher than those of other systemic inflammation-based prognostic scores(P = 0.001).Conclusion:The preoperative NLR-PLR score is a useful predictor of postoperative survival in the patients with stage l-ll gastric cancer and may help identify high-risk patients for rational therapy and timely follow-up.

Novel biomarkers for patients with idiopathic acute anterior uveitis:neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio

AIM： To assess the levels of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio（N/L） and the platelet to lymphocyte ratio（P/L） in patients with idiopathic acute anterior uveitis（AAU） and to compare with healthy controls.METHODS： Thirty-six male patients with idiopathic AAU and 36 male healthy subjects were enrolled in this retrospective study.Complete ophthalmological examination and complete blood count measurements results of all subjects were evaluated.RESULTS： There was a significant difference in N/L and P/L between idiopathic AAU and control groups（P=0.006,P=0.022）.Also,correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between C-reactive protein（CRP） and N/L（P= 0.002;r=0.461）.CONCLUSION： Our study for the first time provides evidence of N/L and P/L may be useful biomarkers in patients with idiopathic AAU.N/L is correlated with CRP,so it can be a useful biomarker to predict the prognosis in idiopathic AAU.

Blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predicts survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score-based analysis

AIM: To investigate whether an elevated preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR) can predict poor survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 526 patients with HCC who underwent surgery between 2004 and 2011.RESULTS: Preoperative NLR ≥ 2.81 was an independent predictor of poor disease-free survival(DFS, P < 0.001) and overall survival(OS, P = 0.044). Compared with patients who showed a preoperative NLR < 2.81 and postoperative increase, patients who showed preoperative NLR ≥ 2.81 and postoperative decrease had worse survival(DFS, P < 0.001; OS, P < 0.001). Among patients with preoperative NLR ≥ 2.81, survival was significantly higher among those showing a postoperative decrease in NLR than among those showing an increase(DFS, P < 0.001; OS, P < 0.001). When elevated, alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) provided no prognostic information, and so preoperative NLR ≥ 2.81 may be a good complementary indicator of poor OS whenever AFP levels are low or high.CONCLUSION: Preoperative NLR ≥ 2.81 may be an indicator of poor DFS and OS in patients with HCC undergoing surgery. Preoperative NLR ≥ 2.81 may be a good complementary indicator of poor OS when elevated AFP levels provide no prognostic information.

Significance of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer

AIM: To investigate the significance of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR) in the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer(GC). METHODS: The clinical data of 291 GC patients were analysed retrospectively; these patients were divided into two groups according to their preoperative NLR: a high-NLR group(NLR ≥ 3.5, 131 cases) and a low-NLR group(NLR < 3.5, 160 cases). The clinicopathological characteristics and five-year survival rates of the two groups were compared. The NLR and other clinicopathological factors were subjected to univariate and multivariate survival analysis to evaluate the effects of the NLR on the prognosis of GC patients. RESULTS: The lowest preoperative NLR among the 291 patients was 0.56, whereas the highest preoperative NLR was 74.5. The mean preoperative NLR was 5.99 ± 8.98. Age, tumour size, T staging, tumour-node-metastasis(TNM) staging and platelet count were significantly different between the highand low-NLR groups(P < 0.05). The five-year survival rate of the high-NLR group was 17.0%, which was significantly lower than that of the low-NLR group(43.6%; 17.0% vs 43.6%, P < 0.05). The univariate analysis results showed that the five-year survival rate was related to age, tumour size, T staging, N staging, TNM staging, carcinoembryonic antigen value and NLR(P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis results showed that the NLR was an independent risk factor that likely affected the five-year survival rate of GC patients(P = 0.003, HR = 0.626, 95%CI: 0.460-0.852). CONCLUSION: The preoperative NLR could be used as a prognostic factor for GC patients; in particular, a high NLR corresponded to poor prognosis of GC patients.

Pentraxin 3 （PTX3） promoter methylation associated with PTX3 plasma levels and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in coronary artery disease

Background Pentraxin 3 （PTX3） is expressed in the heart under inflammatory conditions and plays an important role in atherogenesis. Patients with increased PTX3 levels may suffer from higher rates of cardiac events. Regulation of specific genes by promoter methylation is important in atherogenesis. The factors influencing PTX3 levels and the association between epigenetics and PTX3 levels have not been investigated. Methods Blood samples were collected from 64 patients admitted to the Department of Cardiology, 35 who had coronary artery disease （CAD）, and 29 who were CAD-free. Plasma levels of PTX3 were measured by ELISA. PTX3 promoter methylation was evaluated via methyl-specific PCR. The severity of coronary artery lesion was evaluated by angiography. Results The level of PTX3 promoter methylation in the CAD group was 62.69% ± 20.57%, significantly lower than that of the CAD-free group, which was 72.45% ± 11.84% （P = 0.03）. Lower PTX3 promoter methylation levels in the CAD group were associated with higher plasma PTX3 concentrations （r = -0.29, P = 0.02）. Furthermore, lower PTX3 promoter methylation levels were associated with higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio （NLR） in men （r = -0.58, P = 0.002）. Conclusions The present study provides new evidence that methylation of the PTX3 promoter is associated with PTX3 plasma levels and NLR in coronary artery disease. This study also shows that modification of epigenetics by chronic inflamma- tion might be a significant molecular mechanism in the atherosclerotic processes that influence plasma PTX3 concentrations.

Prognostic role of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in operable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM:To explore the relationship of clinicopathological features and the distribution of neutrophils in the t umor mic roenvironment wi t h t he prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma.METHODS:Two hundred and fifty-four formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue blocks were analyzed, including tissues from cholangiocarcinoma(n = 254), and tumor adjacent tissues(n = 238).Tissue sections were stained for CD15 using immunohistochemical staining.CD15 expression was detected to identify the distribution of neutrophils in the local tumor microenvironment.The neutrophil density of the tumor tissues and the adjacent tumor tissues was detected to reflect their inflammatory status.Clinical data and follow-up information of cholangiocarcinoma patients who underwent surgery from January 2004 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.The relationship between clinicopathological features and the distribution of neutrophils with prognosis of the patients were analyzed.RESULTS:The positive expression level of CD15 was only significantly related to the TNM stage.CD15 expression was higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent tissues(73.6% vs 54.6%), with significant differences.Patients with high expression of CD15 had significantly shorter overall survival(OS) than those with low expression of CD15(median overall survival time 39.77 mo vs 16.87 mo, P = 0.008).Patients with high CD15 expression had significantly shorter disease free survival time(DFS) than those with low expression of CD15(median DFS 38.27 mo vs 16.83 mo, P = 0.029).COX multivariate analysis indicated that high CD15 expression in tumor tissues was an independent risk factor for predicting OS for patients with cholangiocarcinoma [P = 0.012, relative risk(RR) = 1.601], but it was not an independent risk factor for predicting DFS(P = 0.073, RR = 1.462).CONCLUSION:Patients with high CD15 expression in cancer tissues had shorter DFS and OS.High expression of CD15 is an independent risk factor for OS.