Combining systemic inflammatory response index and albumin fibrinogen ratio to predict early serious complications and prognosis after resectable gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer has a high incidence and fatality rate,and surgery is the preferred course of treatment.Nonetheless,patient survival rates are still low,and the incidence of major postoperative complications cannot be disregarded.The systemic inflammatory response,nutritional level,and coagulation status are key factors affecting the postoperative recovery and prognosis of gastric cancer patients.The systemic inflammatory response index(SIRI)and the albumin fibrinogen ratio(AFR)are two valuable comprehensive indicators of the severity and prognosis of systemic inflammation in various medical conditions.AIM To assess the clinical importance and prognostic significance of the SIRI scores and the AFR on early postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing radical gastric cancer surgery.METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinicopathological characteristics and relevant laboratory indices of 568 gastric cancer patients from January 2018 to December 2019.We calculated and compared two indicators of inflammation and then examined the diagnostic ability of combined SIRI and AFR values for serious early postoperative complications.We scored the patients and categorized them into three groups based on their SIRI and AFR levels.COX analysis was used to compare the three groups of patients the prognostic value of various preoperative SIRI-AFR scores for 5-year overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS).RESULTS SIRI-AFR scores were an independent risk factor for prognosis[OS:P=0.004;hazards ratio(HR)=3.134;DFS:P<0.001;HR=3.543]and had the highest diagnostic power(area under the curve:0.779;95%confidence interval:0.737-0.820)for early serious complications in patients with gastric cancer.The tumor-node-metastasis stage(P=0.001),perioperative transfusion(P=0.044),positive carcinoembryonic antigen(P=0.014)findings,and major postoperative complications(P=0.011)were factors associated with prognosis.CONCLUSION Preoperative SIRI and AFR values were significantly associated with early postoperative survival and the occurrence of severe complications in gastric cancer patients.

Red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio is a simple promising prognostic marker in acute cholangitis requiring biliary drainage

Background: It is crucial to assess the severity of acute cholangitis(AC). There are currently several prognostic markers. However, the accuracies of these markers are not satisfied. The present study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the red cell distribution width(RDW)-to-albumin ratio(RAR) for the prognosis of AC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients diagnosed with AC between May 2019 and March 2022. RAR was calculated, and its predictive ability for in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit(ICU) admission, bacteremia, and the length of hospitalization were analyzed. Results: Out of 438 patients, 34(7.8%) died. Multivariate analysis showed that malignant etiology [odds ratio(OR) = 4.816, 95% confidence interval(CI): 1.936-11.980], creatinine(OR = 1.649, 95% CI: 1.095-2.484), and RAR(OR = 2.064, 95% CI: 1.494-2.851) were independent risk factors for mortality. When adjusted for relevant covariates, including age, sex, malignant etiology, Tokyo severity grading(TSG), Charlson comorbidity index, and creatinine, RAR significantly predicted mortality(adjusted OR = 1.833, 95% CI: 1.280-2.624). When the cut-off of RAR was set to 3.8, its sensitivity and specificity for mortality were 94.1% and 56.7%, respectively. Patients with an RAR of > 3.8 had a 20.9-fold(OR = 20.9, 95% CI: 4.9-88.6) greater risk of mortality than the remaining patients. The area under the curve value of RAR for mortality was 0.835(95% CI: 0.770-0.901), which was significantly higher than that of TSG and the other prognostic markers, such as C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio, and procalcitonin-to-albumin ratio. Lastly, RAR was not inferior to TSG in predicting ICU admission, bacteremia, and the length of hospitalization. Conclusions: RAR successfully predicted the in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, bacteremia, and the length of hospitalization of patients with AC, especially in-hospital mortality. RAR is a promising marker that is more convenient than TSG and other prognostic markers for predicting the prognosis of patients with AC.

C-reactive protein to albumin ratio predict responses to programmed cell death-1 inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND Over the years,programmed cell death-1(PD-1)inhibitors have been routinely used for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)treatment and yielded improved survival outcomes.Nonetheless,significant heterogeneity surrounds the outcomes of most studies.Therefore,it is critical to search for biomarkers that predict the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in patients with HCC.AIM To investigate the role of the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio(CAR)in evaluating the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors for HCC.METHODS The clinical data of 160 patients with HCC treated with PD-1 inhibitors from January 2018 to November 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS The optimal cut-off value for CAR based on progression-free survival(PFS)was determined to be 1.20 using x-tile software.Cox proportional risk model was used to determine the factors affecting prognosis.Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status[hazard ratio(HR)=1.754,95%confidence interval(95%CI)=1.045-2.944,P=0.033],CAR(HR=2.118,95%CI=1.057-4.243,P=0.034)and tumor number(HR=2.932,95%CI=1.246-6.897,P=0.014)were independent prognostic factors for overall survival.CAR(HR=2.730,95%CI=1.502-4.961,P=0.001),tumor number(HR=1.584,95%CI=1.003-2.500,P=0.048)and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(HR=1.120,95%CI=1.022-1.228,P=0.015)were independent prognostic factors for PFS.Two nomograms were constructed based on independent prognostic factors.The C-index index and calibration plots confirmed that the nomogram is a reliable risk prediction tool.The ROC curve and decision curve analysis confirmed that the nomogram has a good predictive effect as well as a net clinical benefit.CONCLUSION Overall,we reveal that the CAR is a potential predictor of short-and long-term prognosis in patients with HCC treated with PD-1 inhibitors.If further verified,CAR-based nomogram may increase the number of markers that predict individualized prognosis.

Red cell distribution width/platelet ratio estimates the 3-year risk of decompensation in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease-induced cirrhosis

BACKGROUND For compensated advanced chronic liver disease(cACLD)patients,the first decompensation represents a dramatically worsening prognostic event.Based on the first decompensation event(DE),the transition to decompensated advanced chronic liver disease(dACLD)can occur through two modalities referred to as acute decompensation(AD)and non-AD(NAD),respectively.Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension(CSPH)is considered the strongest predictor of decompensation in these patients.However,due to its invasiveness and costs,CSPH is almost never evaluated in clinical practice.Therefore,recognizing noninvasively predicting tools still have more appeal across healthcare systems.The red cell distribution width to platelet ratio(RPR)has been reported to be an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease(MASLD).However,its predictive role for the decompensation has never been explored.AIM In this observational study,we investigated the clinical usage of RPR in predicting DEs in MASLD-related cACLD patients.METHODS Fourty controls and 150 MASLD-cACLD patients were consecutively enrolled and followed up(FUP)semiannually for 3 years.At baseline,biochemical,clinical,and Liver Stiffness Measurement(LSM),Child-Pugh(CP),Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD),aspartate aminotransferase/platelet count ratio index(APRI),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),Albumin-Bilirubin(ALBI),ALBI-FIB-4,and RPR were collected.During FUP,DEs(timing and modaities)were recorded.CSPH was assessed at the baseline and on DE occurrence according to the available Clinical Practice Guidelines.RESULTS Of 150 MASLD-related cACLD patients,43(28.6%)progressed to dACLD at a median time of 28.9 months(29 NAD and 14 AD).Baseline RPR values were significantly higher in cACLD in comparison to controls,as well as MELD,CP,APRI,FIB-4,ALBI,ALBI-FIB-4,and LSM in dACLD-progressing compared to cACLD individuals[all P<0.0001,except for FIB-4(P:0.007)and ALBI(P:0.011)].Receiving operator curve analysis revealed RPR>0.472 and>0.894 as the best cut-offs in the prediction respectively of 3-year first DE,as well as its superiority compared to the other non-invasive tools examined.RPR(P:0.02)and the presence of baseline-CSPH(P:0.04)were significantly and independently associated with the DE.Patients presenting baseline-CSPH and RPR>0.472 showed higher risk of decompensation(P:0.0023).CONCLUSION Altogether these findings suggest the RPR as a valid and potentially applicable non-invasive tool in the prediction of timing and modalities of decompensation in MASLD-related cACLD patients.

Combination of type Ⅳ collagen 7S, albumin concentrations, and platelet count predicts prognosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and affects approximately 25%of the general global adult population.The prognosis of NAFLD patients with advanced liver fibrosis is known to be poor.It is difficult to assess disease progression in all patients with NAFLD;thus,it is necessary to identify patients who will show poor prognosis.AIM To investigate the efficacy of non-invasive biomarkers for predicting disease progression in patients with NAFLD.METHODS We investigated biomarkers associated with mortality in patients with NAFLD who visited the Kawasaki Medical School General Medical Center from 1996 to 2018 and underwent liver biopsy and had been followed-up for>1 year.Cumulative overall mortality and liver-related events during follow-up were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using log-rank testing.We calculated the odds ratio and performed receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with logistic regression analysis to determine the optimal cut-off value with the highest prognostic ability.RESULTS We enrolled 489 patients who were followed-up for a period of 1-22.2 years.In total,13 patients died(2.7%of total patients enrolled);7 patients died due to liverrelated causes.Poor prognosis was associated with liver fibrosis on histological examination but not with inflammation or steatosis.Blood biomarkers associated with mortality were platelet counts,albumin levels,and type IV collagen 7S levels.The optimal cutoff index for predicting total mortality was a platelet count of 15×10^(4)/μL,albumin level of 3.5 g/dL,and type IV collagen 7S level of 5 mg/dL.In particular,only one-factor patients with NAFLD presenting with platelet counts≤15×10^(4)/μL,albumin levels≤3.5 g/dL,or type IV collagen 7S≥5 mg/dL showed 5-year,10-year,and 15-year survival rates of 99.7%,98.3%,and 94%,respectively.However,patients with two factors had lower 5-year and 10-year survival rates of 98%and 43%,respectively.Similarly,patients with all three factors showed the lowest 5-year and 10-year survival rates of 53%and 26%,respectively.CONCLUSION A combination of the three non-invasive biomarkers is a useful predictor of NAFLD prognosis and can help identify patients with NAFLD who are at a high risk of all-cause mortality.

Prognostic significance of the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio in gallbladder cancer patients

AIM To investigate the prognostic role of fibrinogen-toalbumin ratio(FAR) on patients with gallbladder cancer(Gbc) in this study.METHODS One hundred and fifty-four Gbc patients were retro-spectively analyzed, who received potentially curative cholecystectomy in our institute from March 2005 to December 2017. Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROc curve) was used to determine the optimal cut-offs for these biomarkers. In addition, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis as well as multivariate analysis were applied for prognostic analyses.RESULTS ROc curve revealed that the optimal cut-off value for FAR was 0.08. FAR was significantly correlated with age(P = 0.045), jaundice(P < 0.001), differentiation(P = 0.002), resection margin status(P < 0.001), T stage(P < 0.001), TNM stage(P < 0.001), and c A199(P < 0.001) as well as albumin levels(P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that the resection margin status [hazard ratio(HR): 2.343, 95% confidence interval(c I): 1.532-3.581, P < 0.001], TNM stage(P = 0.035), albumin level(HR = 0.595, 95%c I: 0.385-0.921, P = 0.020) and FAR(HR: 2.813, 95%c I: 1.765-4.484, P < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors in Gbc patients.CONCLUSION An elevated preoperative FAR was significantly correlated with unfavorable overall survival in Gbc patients, while an elevated preoperative albumin level was a protective prognostic factor for patients with Gbc. The preoperative FAR could be used to predict the prognosis of Gbc patients, which was easily accessible, costeffective and noninvasive.

Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio to predict esophageal varices in Mexican patients with hepatic cirrhosis

AIM: To validate whether the platelet count/spleen size ratio can be used to predict the presence of esophageal varices in Mexican patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

Red cell distribution width to platelet ratio: New and promising prognostic marker in acute pancreatitis

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of red cell distribution width (RDW) to platelet ratio (RPR) to predict in-hospital mortality in acute pancreatitis (AP).

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.

Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis with combined serum aminotransferase/platelet ratio index and hyaluronic acid in patients with chronic hepatitis B

AIM： To construct a noninvasive assessment model consisting of routine laboratory data to predict significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB）. METHODS： A total of 137 consecutive patients with CriB who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups according to their aminotransferase （ALT） level. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value （PPV）, negative predictive value （NPV）, the likelihood ratio （LR） of aminotransferase/platelet ratio index （APRI） ≥ 1.5 or 〈 1.5 in combination with different hyaluronic acid （HA） cut-off points were calculated for the presence of moderate to severe fibrosis/cirrhosis （fibrosis stages 2 and 4） and no to mild fibrosis/cirrhosis （fibrosis stages 0 and 1）. RESULTS： The APRI correlated with fibrosis stage in CriB patients. The APRI ≥1.5 in combination with a cut-off HA cut-off point 〉 300 ng/mL could detect moderate to severe fibrosis （stages 2-4） in Crib patients. The PPV was 93.7%, the specificity was 98.9%. The APRI 〈 1.5 in combination with different HA cut-off points could not detect no to mild fibrosis in CHB patients. CONCLUSION： The APRI ≥ 1.5 in combination with a HA cut-off point 〉 300 ng/mL can detect moderate to severe fibrosis （stages 2-4） in Crib patients.

Combined acoustic radiation force impulse, aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and Forns index assessment for hepatic fibrosis grading in hepatitis B

AIM: To investigate the combined diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index(APRI) and Forns index for a non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB). METHODS: In this prospective study, 206 patients had CHB with liver fibrosis stages F0-F4 classified by METAVIR and 40 were healthy volunteers were measured by ARFI, APRI and Forns index separately or combined as indicated. RESULTS: ARFI, APRI or Forns index demonstrated a significant correlation with the histological stage(all P < 0.001). According to the AUROC of ARFI and APRI for evaluating fibrotic stages more than F2, ARFI showed an enhanced diagnostic accuracy than APRI(P < 0.05). The combined measurement of ARFI and APRI exhibited better accuracy than ARFI alone when evaluating ≥ F2 fibrotic stage(Z = 2.77, P = 0.006). Combination of ARFI, APRI and Forns index did not obviously improve the diagnostic accuracy compared to the combination of ARFI and APRI(Z = 0.958, P = 0.338). CONCLUSION: ARFI + APRI showed enhanced diagnostic accuracy than ARFI or APRI alone for significant liver fibrosis and ARFI + APRI + Forns index shows the same effect with ARFI + APRI.

Prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development by aminotransferase to platelet ratio index in primary biliary cholangitis

AIM To investigate the usefulness of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index(APRI) in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) risk in primary biliary cholangitis(PBC).METHODS We identified PBC patients between 2000 and 2015 by searching the electronic medical database of a tertiary center. The hazard ratio(HR) of HCC with different risk factors was determined by Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS One hundred and forty-four PBC patients were recru-ited. Patients were diagnosed at a median age of 57.8 years [interquartile range(IQR): 48.7-71.5 years), and 41(28.5%) patients had cirrhosis at baseline. The median follow-up duration was 6.9 years(range: 1.0-26.3 years). Twelve patients developed HCC, with an incidence rate of 10.6 cases per 1000 patient-years. The overall 5-, 10-and 15-year cumulative incidences of HCC were 2.3% 95%CI: 0%-4.8%), 8.4%(95%CI: 1.8%-14.5%) and 21.6%(6.8%-34.1%), respectively. Older age(HR = 1.07), cirrhosis(HR = 4.38) and APRI at 1 year after treatment(APRI-r1) > 0.54(HR = 3.94) were independent factors for HCC development. APRI-r1, when combined with treatment response, further stratified HCC risk(log rank P < 0.05). The area under receiver operating curve of APRI-r1 in predicting HCC was 0.77(95%CI: 0.64-0.88).CONCLUSION APRI-r1 can be used to predict the development of HCC in PBC patients. Combination of APRI-r1 with treatment response can further stratify the HCC risk.

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.

Hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet score as a predictor of prognosis in metastatic gastric cancer

BACKGROUND The hemoglobin,albumin,lymphocyte,and platelet(HALP)score,derived from a composite evaluation of markers reflecting the tumor-inflammation relationship and nutritional status,has been substantiated as a noteworthy prognostic determinant for diverse malignancies.AIM To investigate how the HALP score relates to prognosis in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.METHODS The cutoff values for the HALP score,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio,and platelet/lymphocyte ratio were determined using receiver operating characteristic analysis.Low HALP scores were defined as those less than 24.79 and high HALP scores as those greater than 24.79.RESULTS The study cohort comprised 147 patients and 110 of them(74.8%)were male.The patients'median age was 63(22-89)years.The median overall survival was significantly superior in the patients with high HALP scores than in those with low HALP scores(10.4 mo vs 7.5 mo,respectively;P<0.001)CONCLUSION The HALP score was found to be a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.

Preoperative maximal voluntary ventilation,hemoglobin,albumin,lymphocytes and platelets predict postoperative survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND Preoperative pulmonary function plays an important role in selecting surgical candidates and assessing postoperative complications.Reduced pulmonary function is associated with poor survival in several cancers,but the prognostic value of preoperative pulmonary function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is unclear.Nutritional and systemic inflammation parameters are vital to cancer survival,and the combination of these parameters improves the prognostic value.The hemoglobin,albumin,lymphocytes and platelets(HALP)score is a novel prognostic indicator to reflect the nutritional and inflammation status,but the clinical effects of the HALP score combined with maximal voluntary ventilation(MVV),an important parameter of pulmonary function,have not been well studied in ESCC.AIM To investigate the prognostic value of MVV and HALP score for assessing postoperative survival of ESCC patients.METHODS Data form 834 ESCC patients who underwent radical esophagectomy with R0 resection were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Preoperative MVV and HALP data were retrieved from medical archives.The HALP score was calculated by the formula:Hemoglobin(g/L)×albumin(g/L)×lymphocytes(/L)/platelets(/L).The optimal cut-off values of MVV and HALP score were calculated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to draw the survival curves for the variables tested.Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the independent prognostic factors for overall survival.RESULTS MVV was significantly associated with gender(P<0.001),age at diagnosis(P<0.001),smoking history(P<0.001),drinking history(P<0.001),tumor length(P=0.013),tumor location(P=0.037)and treatment type(P=0.001).The HALP score was notably associated with gender(P<0.001),age at diagnosis(P=0.035),tumor length(P<0.001)and invasion depth(P=0.001).Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that low MVV and low HALP score were associated with worse overall survival(all P<0.001).Multivariate analysis showed that low MVV and the HALP score were both independent risk factors for overall survival(all P<0.001).The combination of MVV and HALP score improved the prediction performance for overall survival than tumor-node-metastasis.Also,low combination of MVV and HALP score was an independent risk factor for poor overall survival(P<0.001).CONCLUSION MVV,HALP score and their combination are simple and promising clinical markers to predict overall survival of ESCC patients.

Prognostic value of neutrophil/lymphocyte,platelet/lymphocyte,lymphocyte/monocyte ratios and Glasgow prognostic score in osteosarcoma:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Some studies investigated the prognostic role of several blood biomarkers,including the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet/lymphocyte ratio(PLR),lymphocyte/monocyte ratio(LMR)and Glasgow prognostic score(GPS),in osteosarcoma,but their results were inconsistent with each other.AIM To identify the prognostic value of NLR,PLR,LMR and GPS in osteosarcoma patients through reviewing relevant studies.METHODS The PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science and CNKI databases were searched up to October 2,2021.The primary and second outcomes were overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS),respectively.The hazard ratios(HRs)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)were combined to assess the association between these indicators and prognosis of osteosarcoma patients.RESULTS A total of 13 studies involving 2087 patients were eventually included.The pooled results demonstrated that higher NLR and GPS were significantly associated with poorer OS(HR=1.88,95%CI:1.38-2.55,P<0.001;HR=2.19,95%CI:1.64-2.94,P<0.001)and DFS(HR=1.67,95%CI:1.37-2.04,P<0.001;HR=2.50,95%CI:1.39-4.48,P<0.001).However,no significant relationship of PLR and LMR and OS(P=0.085;P=0.338)and DFS(P=0.396;P=0.124)was observed.CONCLUSION Higher NLR and GPS were related with worse prognosis and might serve as novel prognostic indicators for osteosarcoma patients.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and albumin bilirubin grade in hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a frequent cause of cancer related death globally.Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and albumin bilirubin(ALBI)grade are emerging prognostic indicators in HCC.AIM To study published literature of NLR and ALBI over the last five years,and to validate NLR and ALBI locally in our centre as indicators of HCC survival.METHODS A systematic review of the published literature on PubMed of NLR and ALBI in HCC over the last five years.The search followed the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Additionally,we also investigated HCC cases between December 2013 and December 2018 in our centre.RESULTS There were 54 studies describing the relation between HCC and NLR and 95 studies describing the relation between HCC and ALBI grade over the last five years.Our local cohort of patients showed NLR to have a significant negative relationship to survival(P=0.011).There was also significant inverse relationship between the size of the largest HCC nodule and survival(P=0.009).Median survival with alpha fetoprotein(AFP)<10 KU/L was 20 mo and with AFP>10 KU/L was 5 mo.We found that AFP was inversely related to survival,this relationship was not statically significant(P=0.132).Mean survival for ALBI grade 1 was 37.7 mo,ALBI grade 2 was 13.4 months and ALBI grade 3 was 4.5mo.ALBI grades performed better than Child Turcotte Pugh score in detecting death from HCC.CONCLUSION NLR and ALBI grade in HCC predict survival better than the conventional alpha fetoprotein.ALBI grade performs better than Child Turcotte Pugh score.These markers are done as part of routine clinical care and in cases of normal alpha fetoprotein,these markers could give a better understanding of the patient disease progression.NLR and ALBI grade could have a role in modified easier to learn staging and prognostic systems for HCC.

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in the setting of liver transplantation for hepatocellular cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR) as a risk factor for post-transplant hepatocellular cancer(HCC) recurrence. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed using PubM ed. Participants of any age and sex, who underwent liver transplantation for HCC were considered following these criteria:(1) studies comparing pre-transplant low vs high PLR values;(2) studies reporting post-transplant recurrence rates; and(3) if more than one study was reported by the same institute, only the most recent was included. The primary outcome measure was set for HCC recurrence after transplantation. RESULTS A total of 5 articles, published between 2014 and 2017, fulfilled the selection criteria. As for the quality of the reported studies, all the investigated articles presented an overall high quality. A total of 899 cases were investigated: 718 cases(80.0%) were males. Three studies coming from European countries and one from Japan presented HCV as the main cause of cirrhosis. On the opposite, one Chinese study presented a greater incidence of HBV-related cirrhotic cases. In all the studies apart one, the PLR cut-off value of 150 was reported. At meta-analysis, high PLR value was associated with a significant increase in recurrence after transplantation(OR = 3.33; 95%CI: 1.78-6.25; P < 0.001). A moderate heterogeneity was observed among the identified studies according to the Higgins I^2 statistic value.CONCLUSION Pre-transplant high PLR values are connected with an increased risk of post-operative recurrence of hepatocellular cancer. More studies are needed for better clarify the biological mechanisms of this results.

C-reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio as a Prognostic Indicator in Posttraumatic Shock and Outcome of Multiple Trauma Patients

Objective C-reactive protein(CRP)/albumin ratio(CAR)is a new inflammation-based index for predicting the prognosis of various diseases.The CAR determined on admission may help to predict the prognostic value of multiple trauma patients.Methods A total of 264 adult patients with severe multiple trauma were included for the present retrospective study,together with the collection of relevant clinical and laboratory data.CAR,CRP,albumin,shock index and ISS were incorporated into the prognostic model,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn.Then,the shock index for patients with different levels of CAR was analyzed.Finally,univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for the 28-day mortality of multiple trauma patients.Results A total of 36 patients had poor survival outcomes,and the mortality rate reached 13.6%.Furthermore,after analyzing the shock index for patients with different levels of CAR,it was revealed that the shock index was significantly higher when CAR was≥4,when compared to CAR<2 and 2≤CAR<4,in multiple trauma patients.The multivariate logistic analysis helped to identify the independent association between the variables CAR(P=0.029)and shock index(P=0.019),and the 28-day mortality of multiple trauma patients.Conclusion CAR is higher in patients with severe multiple trauma.Furthermore,CAR serves as a risk factor for independently predicting the 28-day mortality of multiple trauma patients.The shock index was significantly higher when CAR was≥4 in multiple trauma patients.

Can platelet count/spleen diameter ratio be used for cirrhotic children to predict esophageal varices?

AIM To determine the laboratory and radiologic parameters, including the platelet count(PC)-to-spleen diameter(SD) ratio as a non-invasive marker that may predict the presence of esophageal varices(EV) in children with cirrhosis.METHODS Eighty-nine patients with cirrhosis, but without a history of variceal bleeding were prospectively included. The children were grouped into 6-12 and 12-18 years of age groups. These groups were also divided into 2 subgroups(presence and absence of EV). All of the patients underwent a complete biochemical and radiologic evaluation. The PC(n/mm^3)-to-SD(mm) ratio was calculated for each patient. RESULTS Sixty-nine of 98(70.4%) patients had EV. The presence of ascites in all age groups was significantly associatedwith the presence of EV. There were no differences in serum albumin levels, PC, SD and the PC-to-SD ratio between the presence and absence of EV groups in both age groups(P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Laboratory and radiologic parameters, including the PC-to-SD ratio as a non-invasive marker(except for the presence of ascites), was inappropriate for detecting EV in children with cirrhosis.