Pretransplant absolute monocyte count in peripheral blood predicts posttransplant tumor prognosis in patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Preoperative absolute monocyte count in peripheral blood(AMCPB) is closely associated with prognoses in not only various malignancies but also hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether pretransplant AMCPB predicts posttransplant outcomes in patients with HCC undergoing liver transplantation(LT).METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed relationships between clinicopathologic factors involving pretransplant AMCPB and tumor recurrence or survival in 256 patients who had undergone LT for HCC between January 2005 and April 2012.RESULTS: ROC curve analysis showed that AMCPB >200/mm3was a risk factor for tumor recurrence; 43 patients showed higher AMCPB(>200/mm3), whereas 213 showed lower AMCPB(≤200/mm3) at the time of LT. On multivariate analysis,pretransplant high AMCPB, positive findings in pretransplant18F-FDG PET/CT, pathological maximal tumor size >5 cm,intrahepatic metastasis, moderately or poorly differentiated tumor and microvascular invasion were independent factors affecting recurrence-free survival. When we performed subgroup analysis based on the Milan criteria, high AMCPB was an independent factor for predicting HCC recurrence in patients with tumor beyond the Milan criteria(P=0.004), and not for patients within the criteria.CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that pretransplant AMCPB could predict tumor recurrence after LT for HCC,especially in patients with tumor beyond the Milan criteria.

Monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor in peripheral whole blood samples of colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy worldwide.Therefore,it is critically important to identify new useful markers that can be easily obtained in routine practice.Inflammation is a crucial issue in the pathogenesis and development of cancer.AIM To evaluate the prognostic value of absolute monocyte count,monocyte to lymphocyte ratio(MLR),the combination of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR-PLR),and combined platelet and neutrophilto-lymphocyte ratio(PLT-NLR)in peripheral blood samples of patients with colorectal cancer undergoing surgery.METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of 160 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery,and 42 healthy controls.The status of absolute monocyte count,MLR,NLR-PLR and PLT-NLR was calculated on the basis of blood samples obtained before and after surgery.Haematologic factors were examined in correlation with the type of tumour growth,tumour size,histological type,percentage of mucinous component,grade of malignancy,Tumour-Node-Metastasis stage,venous,lymphatic and perineural invasion of cancer cells,status of lymph node invasion and the presence of cancer cell deposits.The Kaplan-Meier method and the long-rank test were used to compare survival curves.To determine independent prognostic factors,univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied.RESULTS The PLT-NLR status was correlated with tumour size and the presence of perineural invasion(P=0.015;P=-0.174,P=0.037).Moreover,high NLR-PLR and PLR-NLR ratios in the blood samples obtained after surgery were positively associated with histological type of cancer and percentage of the mucinous component(NLR-PLR:P=0.002;P=0.009;PLR-NLR status:P=0.002;P=0.007).The analysis of 5-year disease-free survival showed that the MLR of whole blood obtained after surgery[HR=2.903,95%CI:(1.368-6.158),P=0.005]and the status of lymph node metastasis[HR=0.813,95%CI:(0.653-1.013),P=0.050]were independent prognostic factors in colorectal cancer patients.CONCLUSION The postoperative MLR in whole blood samples can be used as an independent prognostic factor in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Predictive value of immune cell counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis caused by intra-abdominal infection

Background:The current study aimed to evaluate the value of immune cell counts and neutrophilto-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)when attempting to predict 28-day mortality.Methods:We conducted an observational retrospective study that included consecutive septic patients.Severity scores on the first day and peripheral circulating immune cell counts(at day 1,day 3,day 5 and day 7 of admission)were collected during each patient’s emergency intensive care unit stay.We assessed the associations of peripheral circulating immune cell counts and NLR with the severity of illness.The relationships between 28-day mortality and peripheral circulating immune cell counts and NLR with were evaluated using Cox proportional cause-specific hazards models.Results:A total of 216 patients diagnosed with sepsis caused by IAI were enrolled.The lymphocyte counts(days 1,3,5 and 7)and monocyte counts(days 3,5 and 7)were significantly lower in nonsurvivors(n=72)than survivors(n=144).The NLR values at each time point were significantly higher in non-survivors.The day 1 lymphocyte counts,as well as the monocyte counts,were significantly lower in the highest-scoring group,when stratified by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores,than in the other groups(p<0.05).The day 1 NLR was significantly higher in the highest-scoring group than in the other groups(p<0.05).The day 5 and day 7 lymphocyte counts,day 3 and day 7 monocyte counts and day 7 NLR were significant predictors of 28-day mortality in the Cox proportional hazards models(day 5 lymphocyte count:hazard ratio,0.123(95%CI,0.055–0.279),p<0.001;day 7 lymphocyte count:hazard ratio,0.115(95%CI,0.052–0.254),p<0.001;day 3 monocyte count:hazard ratio,0.067(95%CI,0.005–0.861),p=0.038;day 7 monocyte count:hazard ratio,0.015(95%CI,0.001–0.158),p<0.001;day 7 NLR:hazard ratio,0.773(95%CI,0.659–0.905),p=0.001).Conclusions The results showed that circulating lymphocytes and monocytes were dramatically decreased within 7 days in non-survivors following sepsis from an IAI.Lymphocyte counts,monocyte counts and NLR appeared to be associated with the severity of illness,and they may serve as independent predictors of 28-day mortality in septic patients with IAIs.