Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as an assessment tool to differentiate between uterine sarcoma and myoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the potential value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an assessment tool in the clinical distinction between uterine sarcoma and uterine leiomyoma. METHODS: We comprehensively searched Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed for relevant papers published before March 19, 2023. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was provided, along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The random-effects model was employed to derive pooled effects due to the high levels of heterogeneity. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for the quality assessment. Our study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023478331). RESULTS: Overall, seven articles were included in the analysis. A random-effect model revealed that patients with uterine sarcoma had higher NLR levels compared to those with uterine myoma (SMD = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.22-0.98; p = 0.002). In the subgroup analysis according to sample size, we found that patients with uterine sarcoma had elevated levels of NLR compared to those with uterine myoma in either large studies (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.04-1.13; P < 0.001) or small studies (SMD = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.33-0.96; P = 0.32). In the sensitivity analysis, we found that the final result was not significantly changed when single studies were removed, suggesting that the finding of this meta-analysis was stable. The pooled sensitivity of NLR was 0.68 (95% CI = 0.61-0.73), and the pooled specificity was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.59-0.69). CONCLUSION: NLR might be utilized as an assessment tool in clinics to help clinicians differentiate between patients with uterine sarcoma and those with myoma.

Association of inflammatory biomarkers with overall survival in burn patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The inflammatory response to burn injuries can lead to organ dysfunction that ultimately results in increased mortality and morbidity. This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the efficacy of inflammatory biomarkers, including the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) as predictive tools of mortality among burn patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The biomarker levels of survivors and non-survivors were consolidated according to guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Three main databases were searched electronically: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, on December 8, 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate and score the methodological quality of the included studies. The standard mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was utilized. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies were included in our systematic review and meta-analysis, (3636 total burn patients), of whom 2878 survived. We found that deceased burn patients had elevated levels of NLR (SMD = 0.60, 95% CI; 0.19-1.00, P < 0.001), CRP (SMD = 0.80, 95% CI; 0.02-1.58, P = 0.04), and PCT (SMD = 0.85, 95% CI; 0.45-1.24, P < 0.001), compared to survivors. However, we found no association between PLR and mortality among burn patients (SMD = 0.00, 95% CI; -0.14-0.15, P < 0.001). In addition, CRP was significantly higher in non-survivors (SMD = 0.80, 95% CI; 0.02-1.58, P =0.04). Similar results were also found about PCT (SMD = 0.85, 95% CI; 0.45-1.24, P < 0.001). When we analyzed the PCT data, collected in the first 24-48 hours, we found similar results; the PCT level was significantly higher in non-survivors in the immediate postinjury-period (SMD = 0.67, 95% CI; 0.31-1.02, P < 0.001). There was no publication bias among studies on the role of NLR in burn (Egger's test P = 0.91). The based cut-off values for NLR (13), CRP (71), and PCT (1.77) yielded sensitivities of 69.2%, 100%, and 93.33%, and specificities of 76%, 72.22%, and 72.22% respectively. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: PCT is a marker of sepsis, therefore its elevated level is presumably associated with a higher incidence and severity of sepsis among non-survivors. In addition, NLR and CRP are promising biomarkers for predicting and guiding prevention against burn deaths in clinical settings.

Prognostic Role of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

One of the crucial triggers of allergic diseases is an inflammatory reaction and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is one of the systemic inflammation biomarkers. Our review aimed to evaluate role of NLR in predicting severity and comorbidities of allergic rhinitis (AR). We systematically searched Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed to find relevant studies. Standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported. Due to the high levels of heterogeneity, the random-effects model was used to generate pooled effects. Eleven articles were included in the systematic review, among which ten were included in meta-analysis including 1122 healthy controls and 1423 patients with AR. We found that patients with AR had a significantly higher level of NLR than healthy controls (SMD = 0.19, 95%CI = 0.03-0.36, P = 0.03). In addition, patients with moderate to severe AR had significantly higher levels of NLR compared to those with mild AR (SMD = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.20-0.63, P < 0.001). Interestingly, it was found that NLR could associate with some comorbidities of AR, like asthma. Our results confirmed that NLR could assist clinicians in predicting the severity and comorbidities of AR. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-04148-8.

Meta-analysis of the Relationship Between Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Nasal Polyps.

Our study aimed to enhance understanding of nasal polyp pathophysiology by reviewing the data for variations of NLR values between patients with nasal polyp and healthy controls. We searched Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and Scopus up to 2 April 2023. The search strategy was not limited to any specific language. Twelve studies were included in our study. Of them, ten studies, involving 898 nasal polyp patients and 590 control patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The NLR levels in nasal polyp patients were statistically greater than in the control group (SMD = 0.56; 95%CI 0.04-1.08, P = 0.036). Subgroup analysis based on study design yielded that patients with nasal polyp exhibited significantly higher NLR levels than healthy controls in retrospective studies (SMD = 0.83; 95%CI 0.30-1.35, P = 0.002) but not in prospective studies (SMD = 0.10; 95%CI = -1.03 to 1.23, P = 0.85). Also, we found that the NLR levels in nasal polyp patients were significantly higher than healthy controls in high-quality studies (SMD = 1.00; 95%CI 0.38-1.62, P = 0.002) but not in low-quality studies (SMD = 0.11; 95%CI = -0.69 to 0.91, P = 0.79). A total of 312 patients with recurrence and 550 patients without recurrence were included in the study. The combined results revealed that NLR levels in nasal polyp recurrence patients were significantly higher than those of the nasal polyp without recurrence group (SMD = 0.06, 95% CI 0.39-0.81, P = 0.000). These results showed the relationship between the NLR in nasal polyps and can help medical doctors to predict the recurrence of the disease in such patients.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in odontogenic infection: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: We conducted this systematic review to compile the evidence for the role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in odontogenic infection (OI) and to determine whether NLR is elevated in patients with OI. This was done to aid physicians in better understanding this condition for clinical management. METHODS: The search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science libraries on March 30, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the studies using Endnote software. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. RESULTS: A total of nine studies were included in the review. Among patients with OI, positive and statistically significant correlations of NLR were seen with more severe disease, a prolonged hospital stay, postoperative requirement of antibiotics, and total antibiotic dose needed. In the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, the optimum cut-off level of NLR was 5.19 (specificity: 81, sensitivity: 51). In addition, NLR was correlated with preoperative fever (p = 0.001). Among patients with Ludwig's Angina, NLR could predict disease severity and length of stay in the hospital (p = 0.032 and p = 0.033, respectively). In addition, the relationship between the NLR and mortality was statistically significant (p = 0.026, specificity of 55.5%, and sensitivity of 70.8%). Among patients with severe oral and maxillofacial space infection, a positive correlation was found between IL-6 and CRP with NLR (rs = 0.773, P = 0.005 and rs = 0.556, P = 0.020, respectively). Also, a higher NLR was considered an essential predictor of organ involvement (P = 0.027) and the number of complications (P = 0.001). However, among diabetes mellitus (DM) patients afflicted with submandibular abscesses, NLR had no association with therapeutic response. CONCLUSIONS: Many people around the world suffer from OI, and a cheap and fast biomarker is needed for it. Interestingly, inflammation plays a role in this infection, and elevated NLR levels can be a good biomarker of inflammation and, as a result, for OI progression.

Prognostic Role of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis assessed the use of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a means of early detection of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) following diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. We used Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus to conduct a systematic search. There was no limitation regarding language or date of publication. We reported standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Due to high heterogeneity, a random-effects model was used, and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for quality assessment. Thirty-one articles were included in the analysis. Patients in the CIN group had elevated levels of NLR compared with those in the non-CIN group (SMD = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.52-1.04, P < .001). Similar results were observed in either prospective (SMD = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.13-1.93, P = .02) or retrospective studies (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.45-0.96, P < .001). The pooled sensitivity of NLR was 74.02% (95% CI = 66.54%-81.02%), and the pooled specificity was 60.58% (95% CI = 53.94%-66.84%). NLR shows potential as a cost-effective biomarker for predicting CIN associated with contrast-involved treatments. This could help implement timely interventions to mitigate CIN and improve outcomes.

The association between pulse wave velocity and heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The arterial stiffness measured by pulsed wave velocity (PWV) is associated with heart failure (HF). However, the effectiveness of arterial stiffness and PWV as prognostic indicators in patients with HFpEF and HFrEF is still unclear. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we synthesized the prognostic value of PWV and arterial stiffness in HF patients. Methods: Four databases, including Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were systematically searched for published studies assessing the relationship between PWV and HF from inception up to August 31, 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to compare PWV in HF (HFrEF and HFpEF) and controls. Meta-regressions based on age, year of publication, sample size, and gender (male percentage) were also conducted. Results: The systematic search yielded 5,977 results, of which 58 met our inclusion criteria and 24 were analyzed quantitatively. Studies included 64,687 patients with a mean age of 53.7 years, and 41,803 (67.3%) were male. Meta-analysis of 19 studies showed that PWV was significantly higher in HF patients compared to the controls (SMD 1.04, 95% CI 0.43-1.66, P < 0.001, I 2 = 93%). Moreover, nine studies have measured PWV among HFrEF and HFpEF patients and found no significant difference (SMD -0.51, 95% CI -1.03 to 0.02, P = 0.057, I2 = 95%). Moreover, increased PWV was linked to an increased chance of developing new-onset HF in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions: Patients with HF exhibit significantly higher arterial stiffness, as indicated by PWV, compared to the normal population. However, this association was not significant between HFrEF and HFpEF patients. Future research is warranted to establish the potential prognostic role of PWV in HF. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023479683, PROSPERO (CRD42023479683).

Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas: Unveiling a rare right atrial presentation with surgical insights-A case report and review of the literature.

Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas (CPF) are rare, benign tumors with thromboembolic potential. We present a 40-year-old male with a right atrial CPF, referred with acute chest pain. Advanced imaging and surgical excision with tricuspid valve repair were crucial, emphasizing the need for early detection and intervention in symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.