Efficacy and prognosis of the dynamic monitoring lymphocyte to monocyte ratio in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and prognosis of the dynamic monitoring lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: The clinical data of 261 patients with DLBCL in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University between March 2012 to March 2018, were analyzed retrospectively. The optimal cut-off values of LMR was determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) method. Patients were divided into low LMR group and high LMR group according to the optimal cut-off value. The changes of LMR before and after treatment in two groups were dynamically monitored, and the relationship between LMR and efficacy and survival were analyzed. Results: Complete remission (CR) rate in patients with high LMR (64.7%) before treatment was significantly higher than that in patients with low LMR (33.3%) (P<0.05). Compared with the 5-year overall survival(OS) and progress free survival(PFS) (56.96% and 43.55%, respectively) in the low LMR group, the 5-year OS and PFS (82.92% and 66.25%, respectively) in the high LMR group were higher, and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). Patients with elevated LMR after treatment in the high or low LMR group had a significant higher 5-year OS and PFS compared with patients with LMR reduction(P<0.05). LMR in both high and low LMR group were significantly lower at the last follow-up than those at the disease recurrence (all P<0.05). Both single and multivariate analyses showed that low LMR was an independent prognostic factor in patients with DLBCL (all P<0.05). Conclusions: LMR can be used as an indicator of risk stratification, efficacy, disease replase and prognosis in patients with DLBCL. Low LMR before and after treatment were poor prognostic factors in patients with DLBCL.