Peripheral Blood Neutrophil-lymphocyte Ratio Research Articles

NLR, MLR, and PLR are adverse prognostic variables for sleeve lobectomy within non-small cell lung cancer.

The goal of the research was to examine the value of peripheral blood indicators in forecasting survival and recurrence among people suffering central-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing sleeve lobectomy (SL). Clinical information was gathered from 146 individuals suffering from NSCLC who had SL at our facility between January 2014 and May 2023. Peripheral blood neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) levels were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to establish the threshold points. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was employed to evaluate the prognostic value of different groupings, and both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model (referred to as COX) were performed. The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) cutoff values were carried out via ROC analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed notable differences in OS for NLR (≥2.196 vs. <2.196, p = 0.0009), MLR (≥0.2763 vs. <0.2763, p = 0.0018), and PLR (≥126.11 vs. <126.11, p = 0.0354). Similarly, significant differences in DFS were observed for NLR (≥3.010 vs. <3.010, p = 0.0005), MLR (≥0.2708 vs. <0.2708, p = 0.0046), and PLR (≥126.11 vs. <126.11, p = 0.0028). Univariate Cox analysis showed that NLR (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.469; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.416-4.306, p < 0.001), MLR (HR: 2.192, 95% CI: 1.319-3.643, p = 0.002) and PLR (HR: 1.696, 95% CI: 1.029-2.795, p = 0.038) were correlated alongside OS. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that NLR (HR: 2.036, 95% CI: 1.072-3.864, p = 0.030) was a separate OS risk variable. Additionally, the pN stage (HR: 3.163, 95% CI: 1.660-6.027, p < 0.001), NLR (HR: 2.530, 95% CI: 1.468-4.360, p < 0.001), MLR (HR: 2.229, 95% CI: 1.260-3.944, p = 0.006) and PLR (HR: 2.249, 95% CI: 1.300-3.889, p = 0.004) were connected to DFS. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that pN stage (HR: 3.098, 95% CI: 1.619-5.928, p < 0.001) was a separate DFS risk variable. The study demonstrates that NLR, MLR, and PLR play a convenient and cost-effective role in predicting survival and recurrence among individuals alongside central-type NSCLC having SL.

Relationship between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in peripheral blood and prognosis after castration therapy for prostate cancer

Abstract Background: The relationship between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in peripheral blood and prognosis after castration therapy for prostate cancer remains unclear. Methods: A total of 186 patients with prostate cancer treated between January 2018 and March 2021 were selected as the study subjects. All patients underwent castration therapy. Patient follow-up records for 2 years were examined to assess progression-free survival. NLR, PLR, and PSA levels were measured in the participants’ blood. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting the occurrence of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to analyze progression-free survival, and ROC curves were plotted to assess the predictive value of NLR and PLR for progression-free survival. Results: In the stable group, NLR, PLR, PSA levels, bone metastasis ratio, and Gleason score ≥8 were significantly lower than in the progression group. T3 stage, N0 stage, and M0 stage were significantly higher in the progression group, with statistical significance (P &lt; 0.05). NLR, PLR, and PSA levels were all significantly linearly correlated (P &lt; 0.05). High NLR, high PLR, high PSA, high bone metastasis, Gleason score &lt;8, T3 stage, and N0 stage were independent risk factors for poor prognosis after castration therapy for prostate cancer, with statistical significance (P &lt; 0.05). Patients with low NLR had significantly better progression-free survival than the high NLR group, and patients with low PLR had significantly better progression-free survival than the high PLR group, with statistical significance (P &lt; 0.05). The area under the curve for NLR and PLR in predicting progression-free survival after castration therapy for prostate cancer was both greater than 0.90, indicating high clinical utility. Conclusion: Peripheral blood NLR and PLR after castration therapy for prostate cancer are highly correlated with patient prognosis quality and can serve as important potential indicators for predicting patient prognosis quality.

Utilizing peripheral blood inflammatory biomarker (PBIB) to predict response to systemic therapy in patients with breast cancer.

Inflammation is a recognized factor in cancer progression and resistance to treatments. Several studies correlated inflammation-related peripheral blood inflammatory biomarkers (PBIB) to disease progression and poor survival in various cancer types and different populations. Nonetheless, inflammation is affected by the distinctive characteristics and environmental exposure of each population. There is no prior study addressing the association of pre-treatment inflammatory markers with outcomes in patients with breast cancer (BC) from Saudi Arabia. In this study, we evaluated the prognosis of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) in relation to several PBIB. We retrospectively analyzed the data of female patients with LABC undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Demographics, body mass index (BMI), clinicopathologic characteristics and stage of the tumor, follow-up status, and response to treatment were collected. Outcomes were evaluated in relation to pre-treatment peripheral blood indices that were grouped based on the local laboratory cutoff values. Objective response rate (ORR) was predefined and assessed according to the post-NACT magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) breast and subcategorized into complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD). A total of 172 female patients with BC met the eligibility criteria from January 2014 to December 2019. The mean age at diagnosis was 53.4 ± 11, and BMI was 31.2 ± 6. Left BC accounted for 54.7%, and the majority was invasive ductal carcinoma (85.5%), moderately differentiated (51%), stage III (AJCC 8th edition) (73%), and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumor (79.1%). Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive BC was reported in 32% and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in 10%. Radiologic CR accounted for the majority of ORR (71.5%). Higher percentage of patients with normal red cell distribution width (RDW) of red blood cell (RBC) and low neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) had CR with a significant P value of 0.003 and 0.014, respectively. Among several peripheral blood indices, RDW and NLR significantly influenced ORR. They can be explored further to potentially predict response after systemic therapy in patients with LABC. The great advantage of these biomarkers stems from their availability and affordability in routine clinical practice.

Systematic review and metanalysis of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Hematological parameters have been associated with prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The present meta-analysis investigated the utility of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the prognosis of patients with NPC. Multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science, were systematically searched for studies assessing the association between NLR and NPC from 2011 to 2021. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to estimate effect size. Use of a fixed effect or random effect model was based on heterogeneity stability was tested by sensitivity analysis, and the risk of bias was assessed by funnel plots. Random effects models were used based on the actual results. Because the NLR grouping criteria for the included studies differed, subgroup analyses were performed. A search of the electronic databases identified 14 studies, encompassing 6693 patients, that met the selection criteria. NLR higher than the cutoff value was significantly associated with poorer OS [HR 1.760, 95% CI 1.470-2.120, p <0.00001] and PFS [HR 1.850, 95% CI 1.430-2.390, p = .006]. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results of the meta-analysis were relatively stable, and funnel plots were used to exclude the risk of bias. Elevated pretreatment NLR in peripheral blood is predictive of poorer OS and PFS in patients with NPC. NLR is an easily measured and important prognostic factor in patients with NPC.

Effects of peripheral blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio levels and their changes on the prognosis of patients with early cervical cancer.

Although some studies have reported on the levels and clinical significance of peripheral blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in cervical cancer, the role of NLR levels and their changes preoperatively and postoperatively in early cervical cancer remain unclear. Our analyses explored the preoperative and postoperative NLR in 203 patients with stage I-IIA cervical cancer and evaluated the relationship between NLR changes, clinicopathological characteristics, and patient prognosis. The cut-off preoperative and postoperative NLR values were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Preoperative NLR correlated with age, menopausal status, tumor size, and vascular infiltration, whereas postoperative NLR correlated with tumor differentiation. Patients with cervical cancer with a high preoperative NLR had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than other patients, whereas PFS was significantly lower in the high postoperative NLR group. When comparing postoperative and preoperative NLR values, we observed a significantly higher rate of increase in postmenopausal patients and those without vascular infiltration than that among premenopausal patients and those with vascular infiltration. However, no clear difference in prognosis was observed between the groups with increased and decreased NLR. Therefore, a high peripheral blood NLR may predict a poor prognosis in patients with early cervical cancer. The effect of NLR changes on the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer requires further verification in multicenter studies.

Tertiary lymphoid structure and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio coordinately predict outcome of pembrolizumab.

Emerging evidence suggests that the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood is associated with the treatment response to checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), whereas there is limited knowledge regarding whether these factors reciprocally impact the treatment outcomes of CPIs in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). Herein, we investigated treatment outcomes of platinum-refractory mUC patients (50 cases with whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing) treated with pembrolizumab. The pathological review identified 24% of cases of TLS in the specimens. There was no significant difference in the NLR between the TLS- and TLS+ groups (p = 0.153). In the lower NLR group, both overall survival and progression-free survival were significantly longer in patients with TLS than in those without TLS, whereas the favorable outcomes associated with TLS were not observed in patients in the higher NLR group. We explored transcriptomic differences in UC with TLS. The TLS was comparably observed between luminal (20%) and basal (25%) tumor subtypes (p = 0.736). Exploring putative immune-checkpoint genes revealed that ICOSLG (B7-H2) was significantly increased in tumors with lower NLR. KRT expression levels exhibited higher basal cell markers (KRT5 and KRT17) in the higher NLR group and lower differentiated cell markers (KRT8 and KRT18) in patients with TLS. In conclusion, the improved outcomes of pembrolizumab treatment in mUC are restricted to patients with lower NLR. Our findings begin to elucidate a distinct molecular pattern for the presence of TLS according to the NLR in peripheral blood.

Exploring the diagnostic value of eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to differentiate Kawasaki disease from other febrile diseases based on clinical prediction model

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile disease that affects children under 5 years of age and leads to serious cardiovascular complications such as coronary artery disease. The development of markers that can predict early is important to reduce the under- and misdiagnosis of KD. The aim of this research was to develop a diagnostic predictive model to differentiate Kawasaki disease (KD) from other febrile diseases using eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR) and other biomarkers. We recruited a total of 190 children with KD and 1604 children with other febrile diseases. We retrospectively collected clinical information from the children, which included laboratory data on the day of admission, such as white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (HGB), calcitoninogen (PCT), hypersensitive c-reactive protein (CRP), snake prognostic nutritional index (PNI), peripheral blood neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and ELR. We performed analyses using univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and column line plots, and evaluated the diagnostic parameters of the predictive models. ELR was significantly increased in patients with KD. After multivariate logistic regression, WBC, HGB, CRP, NLR, ELR and PNI were finally included as indicators for constructing the prediction model. The ROC curve analysis suggested that the C-index of the diagnostic prediction model was 0.921. The calibration curve showed good diagnostic performance of the columnar graph model. The cut-off value of ELR alone for KD was 0.04, the area under the ROC curve was 0.809. Kids with KD show highly expressive level of ELR compared to children with febrile disease, which can be used to diagnose KD, and column line graphs constructed together with other indicators can help pediatricians to identify KD more effectively from febrile children.

Association of peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and red cell distribution width (RDW) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC).

540 Background: Determining a benefit from ICIs radiographically may take months and may be confounded by pseudoprogression. The NLR &amp; RDW are readily accessible inflammatory markers from routine peripheral blood analysis and have been associated with outcomes in malignancies. We evaluated the association of early changes in NLR and RDW within 4 weeks after initiating ICI with any regression of tumor (ART) and overall survival (OS) in mUC. Methods: This study included de-identified data from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in pts with mUC who were treated with ICIs from 2015 to 2020. Age, gender, setting (untreated vs. post-platinum), sites of metastasis (mets), performance status (PS), platelet count, RDW, and NLR at baseline and 3-4 weeks after initiating the ICI were collected. The primary objective was to assess the association of early increase in NLR by ≥1.0 from baseline or RDW at 3-4 weeks (as a continuous variable) post-ICI therapy with ART and OS. ART was assessed via subsequent imaging at any time point while on ICI. A multivariable logistic regression model and Cox proportional-hazards model were employed to identify the association of NLR changes with ART and OS, respectively, using backward selection. Results: A total of 330 pts were evaluable. The median age was 70 years, 72.1% (n = 298) were male and 69.4% (n= 227) received post-platinum ICI (remaining were platinum naïve). 46.5% (n = 146) experienced ART and the median OS was 13 months (11.14-16.14). An increase in NLR ≥ 1 in 3-4 weeks was associated with a lower rate of ART (OR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.70; p: 0.001) and worse OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.84, 95% CI 1.37-2.46; p &lt; 0.0001) on multivariable analysis (Table). Higher RDW values at 3-4 weeks were associated with worse OS (HR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.14; p: 0.0004) but were not associated with ART. Conclusions: In pts with mUC initiating ICI, an early increase in NLR ≥ 1 and higher RDW in 3-4 weeks were associated with poor outcomes. Early changes in these readily available variables may enable early modification or intensification of therapy to improve outcomes. External validation of these findings is warranted. [Table: see text]

Association of Transition of Laboratory Markers with Transition of Disease Activity in Psoriasis Patients Treated with Biologics.

Three categories of biologics-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, interleukin (IL) -17 inhibitors, and IL-23 inhibitors-are available for treatment of refractory psoriasis. Recent studies have shown that laboratory biomarkers such as peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with psoriasis or its severity. This study evaluated associations of transition of NLR, PLR, MLR, and CRP with transition of disease activity in psoriasis patients treated with the three categories of biologics. Data from 67 patients were analyzed. Associations of transition of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score with the abovementioned laboratory markers were evaluated by using a mixed effects model with PASI as the response variable, laboratory markers as fixed effects collectively, and patients as random effects. In an analysis of all the patients, serum CRP and NLR were associated with PASI score (P=0.006 and P=0.001, respectively). In patients treated with TNF inhibitors, CRP and NLR were associated with PASI score (P=0.043 and P=0.002, respectively). In patients treated with IL-17 inhibitors, NLR was associated with PASI score (P=0.001). NLR appears to be the most reliable biomarker of the effect of treatment with biologics, especially IL-17 inhibitors.

Research on the Correlation of Peripheral Blood Inflammatory Markers with PCT, CRP, and PCIS in Infants with Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Aims This study aimsto investigate the relationship between peripheral blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), and procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) in infants with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods 100 infants with bacterial CAP admitted to our hospital between January 2021 and December 2021 were selected as the infected group, and another 100 healthy infants who underwent health check-ups at the same time were selected as the control group, and the NLR, PLR, and SII of peripheral blood of infants in both groups and the serum PCT, CRP, and PCIS scores of infants in the infected group were tested. The correlation between NLR, PLR, SII, and PCT, CRP, and PCIS was analyzed by Spearman's analysis. Results The peripheral blood levels of NLR, PLR, and SII were higher in the infected group than in the control infants (P < 0.05). The ROC results showed that the AUCs of peripheral blood NLR, PLR, and SII for the diagnosis of infants with CAP were 0.934, 0.737, and 0.882, respectively. The ROC results showed that the AUCs of peripheral blood NLR, PLR, and SII for assessing the extent of disease in infants with CAP were 0.815, 0.710, and 0.813, respectively, with best cut-off values of 2.05, 98.57, and 823.41; the joint predicted AUC was 0.862. Conclusions NLR, PLR, and SII were significantly elevated in the peripheral blood of infants with CAP, positively correlated with PCT and CRP, and negatively correlated with PSIC scores, and NLR and SII also have some guiding value in early diagnosis and assessment of the extent of the disease in infants and toddlers with CAP.

Are neutrophil–lymphocyte and platelet–lymphocyte ratios useful for determining active phase of Peyronie’s disease?

Background: Management options for Peyronie’s disease (PD) are determined by the phase of the condition. Experts counsel against surgical intervention during the active phase of PD. Patients with chronic phase of PD are offered either collagenase injections or surgical intervention. Accurately characterising a patient’s phase of PD is crucial in determining the appropriate treatment option. Objective: To investigate neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as possible predictors for the determination of acute or chronic phase of PD. Methods: This study retrospectively queried all patients who presented for initial diagnosis of PD from 2016 to 2020 and had complete blood count (CBC) laboratory values before initial therapy. PD phase was defined per the American Urological Association guidelines. The active phase of PD was defined as a changing penile curvature and/or growing palpable plaque. The chronic phase of PD was defined as a stabilised penile curvature. All statistical analyses were two-tailed, using a significance level of 0.05. Results: One hundred nine patients met inclusion: 27 (25%) active phase and 82 (75%) chronic phase patients. Demographic and erectile characteristics were not statistically different between the two groups. NLR and PLR values between active and chronic phase patients were comparable ( p &gt; 0.05). A linear regression evaluated correlations between the duration of PD and either NLR or PLR. Neither NLR nor PLR was correlated with PD duration on Spearman, Pearson, or Kandall tests. In addition, NLR and PLR were not noted to be predictors of PD phase on multiple logistic regression. Finally, a receiver operator characteristic curve was generated. NLR and PLR yielded an area under curve of 58% and 57.8%, respectively. Conclusions: Two recent studies suggested NLR and PLR could be used to predict the phases of PD. However, after evaluating a cohort of 109 men from our institution, our data do not support the use of peripheral blood PLR or NLR to determine the phase of PD.

Significance of preoperative peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in predicting postoperative survival in patients with multiple myeloma bone disease.

BACKGROUNDThe neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is often used to predict a poor prognosis in patients with tumors. This study investigated the preoperative peripheral blood NLR in predicting postoperative survival (POS) in patients with multiple myeloma bone disease (MMBD).AIMTo evaluate whether NLR can be used to predict the prognosis of MMBD patients after surgery.METHODSThe clinical data of 82 MMBD patients who underwent surgical treatments in Beijing Chao-yang Hospital were collected. The NLR was obtained from the absolute number of neutrophils and lymphocytes, calculated by the number of neutrophils and divided by the number of lymphocytes. The peripheral blood lymphocyte percentage was used as the major marker to analyze the change in characteristics of the immune statuses of multiple myeloma patients.RESULTSThe NLR cut-off values of NLR ≥ 3 patients and NLR ≥ 4 patients were significantly correlated with POS. The 3- and 5-year cumulative survival rates of the high NLR group (NLR ≥ 3 patients) were 19.1% and 0.0%, respectively, which were lower than those of the low NLR group (NLR < 3 patients) (67.2% and 48.3%) (P = 0.000). In the high NLR group, POS (14.86 ± 14.28) was significantly shorter than that in the low NLR group (32.68 ± 21.76). Univariate analysis showed that the lymphocyte percentage 1 wk after the operation (19.33 ± 9.08) was significantly lower than that before the operation (25.72 ± 11.02). Survival analysis showed that postoperative chemotherapy, preoperative performance status and preoperative peripheral blood NLR ≥ 3 were independent risk factors for POS.CONCLUSIONThe preoperative peripheral blood NLR can predict POS in MMBD patients. MMBD patients with a high preoperative NLR (NLR ≥ 3) showed poor prognosis.

Early changes in peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC).

449 Background: ICIs have provided advances in the therapy of mUC. However, the objective determination of benefit from ICIs determined by radiographic imaging may take months and may be confounded by pseudoprogression. Peripheral blood cells appear to reflect tumor microenvironment immune infiltrating cells. Given the known prognostic impact of baseline peripheral blood NLR, we aimed to investigate dynamic early changes in NLR as a biomarker of benefit in patients (pts) with mUC. Methods: Deidentified data from mUC pts who were treated with ICIs at Dana Farber Cancer Institute from 2015 to 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic data (age, gender), setting (untreated vs. post-platinum), sites of metastasis, performance status (PS), platelet count, and NLR at baseline and 3-4 weeks after initiating the ICI were collected. We assessed the association of NLR at baseline and 3-4 weeks after starting the ICI with any regression of tumor (ART) and overall survival (OS). A multivariable logistic regression model and Cox proportional-hazards model was employed to identify the association of NLR changes with ART and OS, respectively, using backward selection. Results: A total of 144 pts were included. The median age was 76 years and 100 (69.3%) were male. Overall, 54.8% (n=79) had ART and the median OS was 15.2 (12.2-23.5) months. 37.5% (n=54) were platinum naive and the remaining received post-platinum ICI therapy. In the multivariable models (Table), an increase in NLR, defined as an increase in NLR by ≥1.0 from baseline at 3-4 weeks was significantly associated with lower odds of ART (Odds Ratio (OR)= 0.80; 95% CI = 0.70-0.90; p = 0.0004) and worse OS (HR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.05-1.11; p &lt; 0.0001). The presence of liver metastasis was associated with lower odds of ART (OR = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.13-0.70; p = 0.006) and OS (HR 2.73; 95% CI 1.71 - 4.36; p&lt;0.0001). Conclusions: Change in NLR in the first 4 weeks after initiating ICI for mUC was associated with tumor regression and survival in pts with mUC. Change in NLR may assist in early identification of benefit as well as identification of pts who may have progression of disease. Further validation is warranted to facilitate the early discrimination of benefit from ICIs in pts with mUC.[Table: see text]

Short-term impacts of air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio among urban adults in China

The short-term impacts of urban air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) remain obscure. In this study, we included 3487 urban adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. Individual inhalation exposure to air pollutants was estimated by combining participants' daily breath volume and ambient concentrations of six air pollutants (including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3)). The cumulative impacts were assessed by applying lag structures of up to 7 days before the survey date. Associations of air pollutants with PLR and NLR were assessed using a linear mixed model and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model. We found that PLR was negatively related to PM2.5 (lag02-lag06), PM10 (lag02-lag07), NO2 (lag02-lag07), and SO2 (lag03-lag05) and NLR was negatively related to PM10 (lag05 and lag07). In the BKMR model, a negative joint association between the six-air-pollutant mixture and PLR and NLR was observed, whereas PM10 and NO2 appeared to be more important than the other pollutants in the mixture. The negative impact of air pollutants was stronger in males, participants with lower body mass index (< 24 kg/m2), those cooking meals at home, drinkers, and non-exercisers. In conclusion, short-term exposure to air pollutants is significantly related to PLR and NLR in peripheral blood. PLR and NLR may provide new insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the adverse health impact of air pollutants.

Effect of thymosin a1 on complications after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy in elderly patients

Objective To investigate the association between perioperative immune status and postoperative infectious complications in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD), as well as the effect of thymosin a1 on postoperative complications. Methods Related clinical data were collected from 43 elderly patients, aged 66-83 years, who underwent LPD in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, PLA from June 2014 to June 2018, and the patients were divided into combination group with 22 patients (with the application of thymosin a1 in the perioperative period) and control group with 21 patients (without the application of thymosin a1). Immune function parameters were observed before surgery and on days 3 and 7 after surgery, including serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM, peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), changes in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and the incidence rate of postoperative infectious complications (pulmonary infection, pancreatic leakage, and abdominal infection). In addition, the serum levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured before surgery and on days 3 and 7 after surgery. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups; a repeated measures analysis of variance was used for comparison within each group at different time points, and the Duncan's new multiple range test was used for further pairwise comparison. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results Compared with the control group on days 3 and 7 after surgery, the combination group had significantly higher serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (all P Conclusion Surgical trauma can further reduce the immune function of elderly patients, and the use of thymosin a1 during the perioperative period can enhance the immune function of patients and reduce the incidence rate of postoperative infectious complications.

The Correlation of the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and the Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio With Pathological Findings in Neuroendocrine Tumors.

IntroductionThe relationship between clinical prognostic factors and blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in some tumors has been investigated. In this study, we examined whether there is a relationship between pathological prognostic factors and NLR as well as PLR only in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).MethodsA total of 115 patients with a NET diagnosis between 2014-2020 were included in the study. The efficiency of NLR and PLR in predicting distant metastases was determined by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The relationship between histopathological parameters was also compared.ResultsThe cut-off value of NLR was 3.01 for predicting distant metastasis. At this value, the specificity was 73.7%, the sensitivity was 70.7%, and the likelihood ratio was 2.51. There was a significant relationship between NLR and tumor localization, histological grade, mitosis, Ki-67, distant metastasis, and lymphovascular invasion (all p<0.001). The cut-off value of the PLR in predicting distant metastasis was 134.4. At this value, the specificity was 59.6%, the sensitivity was 58.6%, and the likelihood ratio was 1.44. There was no significant relationship between PLR and the histopathological findings (all p>0.05).ConclusionsIn our study, a high histological grade, high mitosis, a high Ki-67 proliferation index, distant metastasis, and lymphovascular invasion were found in patients with NLR at a cut-off value above 3.01. However, we could not attain the same results for PLR. For trucut and endoscopic biopsies in particular, follow-up of patients with grades 1 and 2 NETs along with histopathological findings and evaluation of NLR in peripheral blood may be useful. NLR, which is an easily accessible inflammatory marker, can be used as an independent predictive factor in NETs.

Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio is Associated with the Poor Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

PurposeSystemic inflammatory cell ratio, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte–monocyte ratio (LMR) are used as prognostic indicators for several types of tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of inflammatory markers for pathological response and prognosis in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).MethodsIn this study, we collected data of 203 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after receiving standard neoadjuvant therapy. The effects of NLR, PLR, and LMR on the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with breast cancer were analyzed by χ2 test and Cox regression analyses.ResultsWe found that 27 of the 203 patients (13.3%) had local or distant metastases. The peripheral blood NLR, PLR, and LMR areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.674 (0.555–0.793), 0.630 (0.508–0.753), and 0.773 (0.673–0.874), respectively. The optimal cutoff values were 3.0, 135, and 6.2, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that LMR was related to the pathological complete response (pCR) rates and breast cancer DFS (P < 0.05). Among all patients, those with low LMR, HER-2 positive, and lymph node status (N2–3) demonstrated poor DFS.ConclusionOur study thus demonstrated that LMR can act as a potential marker for predicting the efficacy and prognosis of patients with breast cancer.

Diagnostic values of NLR and miR-141 in patients with osteoarthritis and their association with severity of knee osteoarthritis.

The present study aimed to explore the diagnostic values of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and microRNA (miR)-141 in patients with osteoarthritis and their association with the severity of knee osteoarthritis. In total 142 patients with osteoarthritis (the study group) admitted to Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM from January 2017 to January 2019 and 150 healthy controls (the control group) were enrolled in the present study. NLR and miR-141 in peripheral blood and their diagnostic values for osteoarthritis were compared between the two groups. The two indicators in the study group were significantly increased (P<0.001), and their combined detection had a better diagnostic value for the disease (P<0.001). Moreover, they were closely associated to the progression of the disease and were independent risk factors (P<0.001). To sum up, NLR and miR-141 were significantly increased in the peripheral blood of patients with osteoarthritis. Their combined detection exhibited a good diagnostic value for the disease and may become a potential therapeutic target osteoarthritis in the future.

Prognostic utility of preoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in cats with malignant mammary tumors

Although studies have determined the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to be a useful prognostic predictor in various human cancers, little is known regarding its preoperative prognostic significance in feline mammary tumors (FMTs). Thus, the present study aimed to determine the prognostic utility of preoperative peripheral blood NLR in malignant FMTs. Accordingly, medical records of 34 cats that had undergone mastectomy were searched, after which those histopathologically confirmed to have malignant FMTs were included. Univariate analysis was used to determine the effect of each variable on one-year survival time. Factors determined to be significant during univariate analysis were subsequently included for multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the accuracy of the tests for predicting one-year survival. Univariate analysis showed that a high NLR and large tumor size were significantly associated with shorter survival times (P < 0.01, for both). No significant differences in other factors were observed. Multivariate analysis showed that a high NLR (hazard ratio, 25.03; 95% confidence interval, 2.98–210.40; P < 0.01), but not tumor size and age, was an independent prognostic factor for poor outcomes. The sensitivity and specificity of the NLR (cut-off, 5.67) for predicting one-year survival were 93.8% and 88.9%, respectively. This study suggests that the NLR could potentially be used as a preoperative prognostic factor in FMTs. Preoperative NLR may help to establish therapeutic modalities by allowing prognostic evaluation among cats with mammary tumors.

Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio as Predictor of Anastomotic Leak after Gastric Cancer Surgery.

Introduction. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is known as a prognostic for the outcome of the patients with gastric cancer. As no definite risk marker for anastomotic leakage after gastric resection was identified, we investigated the possible role of NLR. Methods. Peripheral blood count for neutrophils and lymphocytes was done at the patient’s admission. We retrospectively evaluated 204 gastric cancer patients, who underwent gastric resection, comparing the values of NLR between the group of patients with anastomotic leakage and those without complications. Results. Using the ROC curve, we found the cutoff value of NLR, which permitted the comparison of the group with low NLR, presenting increased NLR. The cutoff value for NLR was 3.54. Between the two groups, we could observe statistically significant differences in developing fistula (p < 0.01) and complications leading to death (p < 0.025). The odds ratio for patients with NLR greater than 3.54 to develop anastomotic leak was 17.62, compared to those with lower NLR. Conclusion. Peripheral blood NLR proved to be a predictor for anastomotic leakage.