Platelet-to-Albumin Ratio: The Prognostic Utility in the Prediction of 2-Month Postoperative Heart Transplant Complications.

BACKGROUND: The platelet-to-albumin ratio (PAR), leucocyte-to-albumin ratio (LAR), neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR), and monocyte-to-albumin ratio (MAR) represent easily reproducible markers, which may predict the outcomes in various diseases. Early postoperative complications might appear after heart transplantation, such as infections, diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), acute graft rejection, and atrial fibrillation (AFib). OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to investigate the PAR, LAR, NPAR, and MAR values before and after heart transplantation, and the associations of the preoperative levels of these markers with the presence of postoperative complications in first two months after surgery. METHODS: Our retrospective research was directed from May 2014 to January 2021, with a total number of 38 patients being included. We used cut-off values for the ratios from previously published studies, as well as our own determination of these levels by using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: By ROC analysis, the optimal preoperative PAR cut-off value was 38.84 (AUC: 0.771, p = 0.0039), with 83.3% sensitivity, and 75.0% specificity. Applying a Chi square (χ2) test, PAR > 38.84 represented an independent risk factor for complications, regardless of cause, and postoperative infections. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative PAR > 38.84 was a risk factor of developing complications of any cause, and postoperative infections in the first two months after heart transplantation.

Elevated Levels of Neutrophil-to Monocyte Ratio Are Associated with the Initiation of Paroxysmal Documented Atrial Fibrillation in the First Two Months after Heart Transplantation: A Uni-Institutional Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation represents the treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) being symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy. We investigated the role of NMR (neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio), NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), NPR (neutrophil-to-platelet ratio), NWR (neutrophil-to-white cells ratio), MLR (monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio), PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio), MWR (neutrophil-to-white cells ratio), and LWR (lymphocyte-to-white cells ratio) at the same cut-off values previously studied, to predict complications after heart transplant within 2 months after surgery. METHODS: From May 2014 to January 2021, was included 38 patients in our study from the Cardiovascular and Transplant Emergency Institute of Târgu Mureș. RESULTS: Preoperative NMR > 8.9 (OR: 70.71, 95% CI: 3.39-1473.64; p = 0.006) was a risk factor for the apparition of post-operative paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (Afib). In contrast, preoperative MWR > 0.09 (OR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.003-0.58; p = 0.0182) represented a protective factor against AFib, but being the risk of complications of any cause (OR: 14.74, 95% CI: 1.05-206.59, p = 0.0458). CONCLUSION: Preoperative elevated levels of NMR were associated with the apparition of documented AFib, with high levels of MWR as a protective factor. High MWR was a risk factor in developing complications of any cause in the first 2 months after heart transplantation.

Neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio predicts mortality in bladder cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy.

AIM: To investigate the prognostic role of neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and radical cystectomy (RC). PATIENTS & METHODS: 213 patients were included. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Nonmetastatic, MIBC (cT2-T4aN0M0), at least three cycles of NAC, undergone RC and with blood count within 30 days before NAC. RESULTS: Five-years overall survival (OS) with NPAR >18 was 34.06% (95% CI: 18.3-50.5) and 65.37% (95% CI: 52.4-75.6) with NPAR <18. Five years cancer-specific survival (CSS) with NPAR >18 was 42.9% (95% CI: 23.9-60.7) and 74.5% (95% CI: 62.6-83.1) with NPAR <18 (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, NPAR increased OS of 1.3 points and CSS of 4.37 points. CONCLUSION: High NPAR prior to NAC seems to be a strong predictor of OS and CSS in MIBC patients treated with NAC and RC.

Lung injury patterns in newborns, infants and young children - morphological and immunohistochemical approaches.

Lower respiratory infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children, especially in newborns, infants and young children. We conducted a retrospective study and we analyzed the causes of death in newborns, infants and young children, in the necropsy protocols from two Departments of Pathology (Mures County Hospital and Emergency County Hospital of Târgu Mures, Romania), between 2016-2018. We performed descriptive statistics: number of necropsies per year, distribution by gender (male∕female), by place of origin (rural∕urban), by age and leading causes of death in our study. To establish the pattern of lung injuries, we performed a morphological, histopathological and immunohistochemical study [cluster of differentiation (CD) 3, CD14, CD20, CD31, CD34, CD68]. Our study is showing the most frequent and typical aspects of pulmonary pathologies in fetuses, newborns, infants and young children. In this way, we are highlighting the microscopic aspects of the immature lung, amniotic fluid and meconium aspiration, pulmonary distress syndrome in children, pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and vascular pulmonary disease developed in patients with congenital cardiac defects. Most deaths were recorded in the first 30 days or in the first year of life. Primary respiratory diseases were the leading causes of death in these patients. Secondary respiratory diseases were associated with the major causes of death in these patients as an aggravating or precipitating factor.