A Prospective Observational Study to Assess the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and C-reactive Protein-to-Albumin Ratio (CAR) in Predicting Morbidity and Mortality Among Patients Undergoing Emergency Abdominal Surgery.

Background Emergency abdominal surgeries pose significant challenges, especially in the Indian population, due to comorbidities, delayed presentations, and limited resources. Accurately predicting morbidity and mortality is crucial for timely interventions and improved patient care. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) have shown potential as prognostic markers, balancing inflammation and nutritional status. Aim The study aims to evaluate the predictive efficacy of NLR and CAR with regard to postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery, thereby contributing to better risk stratification and management strategies. Patients and methods A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in northern Karnataka from August 2022 to June 2024, involving 102 patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgeries. The sample size (71) was calculated using G*Power software, targeting a 95% power with a 5% significance level. The inclusion criterion was patients aged over 18 years undergoing emergency abdominal surgeries; those who were immunocompromised, on steroid therapy, having malignancies, undergoing radiotherapy, or having chronic liver diseases were excluded from the study. Patients coming into the surgical inpatient department (IPD) with an acute abdomen requiring emergency abdominal surgeries as an emergency were preoperatively assessed using complete blood count (CBC), CRP, and serum albumin tests. NLR and CAR were evaluated preoperatively and at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. The outcome measures included surgical site infection rates, hospital stay duration, and outcome in the form of recovery or death. SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analyses. Results The study included 102 patients whose mean age was 43.7 ± 18.9 years; 74 of the participants (72.5%) were male. The most common procedures were exploratory laparotomy (64 patients; 62.7%) and appendicectomy (32 patients; 31.4%). A significant increase in CAR levels was observed on postoperative days 1 and 2 compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Preoperative NLR ≥ 8 was significantly associated with higher mortality (65% vs. 50%, p < 0.01). Preoperative albumin > 3.2 g/dL was associated with better outcomes (recovery in 54 patients; 65.9%) compared to < 3.2 g/dL (15 patients; 75% mortality). This study showed that NLR and CAR are valuable predictors of postoperative outcomes, with CAR indicating the risk for surgical site infections (SSI) and NLR predicting mortality. Conclusion The preoperative NLR had a significant association with mortality among the patients. Hence the NLR can be a good marker for the worst outcome and CAR during the postoperative period can be considered as a marker to detect the risk of SSI. NLR and CAR are simple, inexpensive tests readily available from routine blood investigations. The utility of NLR and CAR as valuable prognostic markers in the perioperative assessment of patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery could enhance the prediction of patient outcomes and guide more effective management strategies to improve patient outcomes in high-risk emergency abdominal surgery.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictive biomarker for hyperprogressive disease mediated by immune checkpoint inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Hyperprogressive disease (HPD) is a novel pattern of paradoxically rapid tumor progression, which often leads to early death, mostly in the first 2 months of treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Currently, there is no validated biomarker to assess patients at risk of HPD. Aim: The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in HPD and establish a reliable variable to support clinicians in defining personalized treatment strategies. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies published before 31 December 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of eligible studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects or a fixed-effects model to evaluate the association between the NLR and the risk of HPD. Results: A total of 17 studies with 2,964 patients were included for meta-analysis. The incidence of HPD across different types of tumors ranged from 6.3% to 35.6%. In the pooled analysis of the NLR and HPD, we identified that the NLR significantly associated with the risk of HPD (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.91; p = 0.01) (I 2 = 52%, p = 0.007). Conclusion: In the future, the NLR may serve as a remarkable biomarker for predicting the risk of HPD in clinical practice.

Impact of preoperative inflammatory and nutritional markers on the prognosis of patients with peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Identifying patients with peritoneal metastasis (PMs) of colorectal cancer (CRC) who will benefit from cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is crucial before surgery. Inflammatory and nutritional indicators play essential roles in cancer development and metastasis. AIM: To investigate the association of preoperative inflammatory and nutritional markers with prognosis in patients with CRC-PM. METHODS: We included 133 patients diagnosed with CRC-PM between July 2012 and July 2018. Patients' demographics, overall survival (OS), and preoperative inflammatory and nutritional markers were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to estimate differences. RESULTS: Of the 133 patients, 94 (70.6%) had normal hemoglobin (Hb) and 54 (40.6%) had a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The median OS (mOS) was significantly lower for patients with high NLR (7.9 months) than for those with low NLR (25.4 months; P = 0.002). Similarly, patients with normal Hb had a longer mOS (18.5 months) than those with low Hb (6.3 months; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified age, carbohydrate antigen 199 levels, NLR, Hb, and peritoneal cancer index as independent predictors of OS. Based on these findings, a nomogram was constructed, which demonstrated a good capacity for prediction, with a C-index of 0.715 (95% confidence interval: 0.684-0.740). Furthermore, the 1- and 2-year survival calibration plots showed good agreement between predicted and actual OS rates. The areas under the curve for the 1- and 2-year survival predictions of the nomogram were 0.6238 and 0.6234, respectively. CONCLUSION: High NLR and low Hb were identified as independent predictive risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with CRC-PM. The established nomogram demonstrated high accuracy in predicting OS for patients with CRC-PM, indicating its potential as a valuable prognostic tool for this patient population.

Prognostic Study of Inflammatory Markers in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Receiving Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.

Purpose: Inflammatory markers in the blood have been linked to tumor prognosis, but their specific prognostic significance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is not well established. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in this patient population. Patients and Methods: A total of 406 non-metastatic NPC patients were included in the study. NLR, PLR, and LMR were stratified according to their average values. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Cox multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations of NLR, PLR, and LMR with PFS and OS. Results: Patients with NLR > 2.78 had worse PFS (P = 0.008) and OS (P < 0.001); PLR > 162.48 was related to lower PFS (P = 0.018) but not OS (P = 0.29); LMR > 5.05 showed no significant difference in PFS and OS compared to LMR ≤ 5.05 (P values were 0.13 and 0.94, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that NLR was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (HR, 1.674; 95% CI, 1.006-2.784; P = 0.047) and OS (HR, 4.143; 95% CI, 2.111-8.129; P = 0.000), while PLR and LMR did not demonstrate significant associations with PFS and OS. Conclusion: This study identifies NLR as a novel and independent prognostic indicator for NPC patients receiving IMRT, offering valuable insights that could inform future clinical decision-making. In contrast, PLR and LMR did not demonstrate significant prognostic value in this context.

Delta neutrophil index (DNI) as a potential biomarker for fetal growth restriction: insights from maternal hematological changes and neonatal outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the role of Delta Neutrophil Index (DNI), an inflammation marker, in late-onset fetal growth restriction (LO-FGR) and its prediction of composite adverse neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 684 pregnant women (456 with normal fetal development and 228 with LO-FGR) who delivered at Health Sciences University Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Training and Research Hospital between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2018. Composite adverse neonatal outcomes were defined as at least one of the following: 5th minute APGAR score < 7, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), or neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. RESULTS: The FGR group had significantly higher levels of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and DNI compared to controls (p < 0.05, for all). For FGR diagnosis, the DNI demonstrated the highest area under the curve (AUC = 0.677, 95% CI: 0.642-0.711) with a cut-off value of > -2.9, yielding a sensitivity of 78.41%, a specificity of 52.97%, a positive likelihood ratio (+ LR) of 1.68, and a negative likelihood ratio (-LR) of 0.37 (p < 0.001). For predicting composite adverse neonatal outcomes in the FGR group, DNI again demonstrated superior performance with an AUC of 0.635 (95% CI: 0.598-0.670), a cut-off value of > -2.2, a sensitivity of 69.90%, a specificity of 55.36%, a + LR of 1.56, and a -LR of 0.51 (p < 0.001). NLR, PLR, and MLR had AUCs below 0.55, indicating poor discriminative ability, with none reaching statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the potential role of DNI as a promising biomarker for detecting inflammatory processes associated with LO-FGR and its complications.

The early biomarker of immature granulocyte count in predicting right-side colonic complicated acute diverticulitis: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Early identification of complicated acute diverticulitis(cAD) is especially significant for clinical physician and surgeon to reduce the antibiotic usage and the risk of emergency surgery. This study was aimed to investigate the significance of immature granulocyte(IG) count in early prediction for right-side(Rt-side) cAD. METHODS: The patients with Rt-side colonic acute diverticulitis was enrolled between January, 2019 and March, 2024, and divided into complicated and simple acute diverticulitis group(cAD and sAD). The data about demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were collected and compared. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curves were used to assess the predictive values of these parameters for Rt-side complicated diverticulitis. RESULTS: 289 participants who met the inclusion criteria were followed as 31 patients in cAD group and 258 in sAD group. Compared to sAD group, cAD group had the higher body mass index(BMI) and peripheral blood routine parameters, especially IG count, systemic immune inflammation index(SII) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR), with the statistically significant differences(P<0.001). Moreover, logistic regression analysis indicated that IG count was a significant and independent predictors for cAD(OR 4.92, 95%CI 3.86-8.39). In the ROC analysis, area under the ROC curves (AUC) was found for IG count(0.93(95%CI 0.88-0.99) ) and SII(0.88(95%CI 0.820-0.95)). The optimal cut-off value of IG count was 0.10 with the largest sensitivity of 80.60% and specificity of 100.00% for identifying Rt-side colonic complicated diverticulitis. CONCLUSION: IG count was a more comparable and independent predictor for Rt-side colonic complicated diverticulitis with a largest AUC than other markers in complete blood count (CBC). Given its early arise, easy accessibility and no-radiation, it can largely convince physicians' decision-making of antibiotic abuse and surgeons' early intervention in Rt-side colonic cAD.

Predicting Intracerebral Hemorrhage Expansion with Inflammation Indices, Non-Contrast Computed Tomography Signs and Computed Tomography Angiography Spot Sign.

Aim: We aimed to investigate whether a combination of inflammatory and radiological biomarkers can improve intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) hematoma expansion (HE) prediction. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with primary supratentorial ICH within 6 h of symptom onset between September 2021 and April 2022. Predictors were explored using univariate and logistic regression analysis. We compared the discrimination of inflammatory indice-based model 1 with models 2 and 3, which included image biomarkers, using the receiver operating characteristic curve and De Long test for area under the curve comparison. Results: A total of 205 eligible participants were included, 56 (27.3%) of whom experienced HE. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), black hole sign, BAT score, and computed tomography angiography (CTA) spot sign were independently associated with HE in the logistic regression (P<0.05). The addition of non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) signs did not provide significant discrimination improvement (AUC, Model 2 0.875 [95% CI, 0.822-0.929] versus Model 1. 0.811 [95% CI, 0.747-0.875], p=0.089), whereas the added value of the CTA spot sign remained statistically significant (AUC, Model 3 0.922 [95% CI, 0.878-0.966] versus Model 2; p=0.030; Model 3 versus Model 1, p=0.005). Conclusion: The combination of inflammatory and radiological biomarkers can predict HE with a satisfactory performance.

Relation between peripheral blood inflammatory indices and severity of central retinal artery occlusion.

Background: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) has been identified as an acute emergency resulting in vision loss, with its pathogenesis potentially involving systemic inflammation and abnormal lipid metabolism. Over recent years, it has been established that peripheral blood inflammatory indices, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the systemic immunoinflammatory index (SII), and the monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR), play significant roles in assessing systemic inflammation and lipid metabolism. However, the role of these indices in assessing the severity of CRAO has rarely been explored. This study aimd to investigate the relationship between these inflammatory indices and the severity of CRAO. Methods: This was a retrospective clinical study with a total of 49 CRAO patients and 50 age- and sex-matched controls involved. The patients with CRAO were divided into three groups (13 with incomplete CRAO, 16 with subtotal CRAO and 20 with total CRAO). Data were compared across these groups, and additionally, correlation analysis, restricted cubic spline plots, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed. Results: The values of NLR, SII and MHR were significantly higher in the CRAO group compared to controls (NLR: 2.49(1.71,3.44) vs 1.60(1.24,1.97), P<0.001; SII: 606.46(410.25,864.35) vs 403.91(332.90,524.31), P=0.001; MHR: 0.33(0.26,0.44) vs 0.25(0.21,0.34), P<0.001). MHR was also significantly higher in total CRAO than in incomplete CRAO and subtotal CRAO (0.41(0.32,0.60) vs 0.29(0.21,0.43), P=0.036; 0.41(0.32,0.60) vs 0.29(0.23,0.38), P=0.017). Significant positive associations were found between MHR, NLR, SII and both the incidence (all P<0.001) and severity (P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.003, respectively) of CRAO. MHR had a linear relationship with both the occurrence and severity of CRAO (P-overall=0.013, P-non-linear=0.427 and P-overall=0.013, P-non-linear=0.825). Combining MHR and NLR significantly improved diagnostic efficacy for CRAO and total CRAO, with area under the curve of 0.816 and 0.827, respectively, compared to using MHR alone (0.705 and 0.816). Conclusion: Elevated levels of peripheral blood NLR, SII, and MHR are positively associated with CRAO incidence, highlighting their potential as early predictive markers. The combined NLR and MHR index further enhances diagnostic accuracy and may facilitate timely assessment of CRAO severity by ophthalmologists and internists.

Admission neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to predict mortality in burn patients: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) proves to be a convenient and cost-effective marker with studies showing that a high NLR can serve as a mortality indicator in burn cases. We conducted a meta-analysis aiming to explore whether on-admission NLR values could serve as predictors of mortality in burn patients. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase were searched from inception until January 2024. We included all studies investigating burn patients that contain information on the NLR value at the time of hospital admission and mortality outcomes. The studies were critically appraised using the NIH Quality Assessment Tool. RESULTS: Nine studies fulfilled our criteria with a total population of 1837 participants, including 1526 survivor Burn patients and 311 non-survivor Burn patients. The overall mean difference measured by random model showed a significant increase in NLR by 5.06 (95% CI 3.42, 6.68) p ≤ 0.001 for the non-survivor group over the survivors group with heterogeneity I2 = 67.33%, p ≤ 0.001. A meta-regression was done to investigate the potential source of heterogeneity among studies. The results showed that age (p = 0.394), gender (p = 0.164), and sample size (p = 0.099) did not contribute to the source of heterogeneity, however, the burn surface area contributed significantly (p = 0.002). A leave-one-out meta-analysis was done, showing that omitting Le Qui et al., leads to significantly decrease the heterogeneity to be I2 = 2.73%. Meta-regression repeated to assess the burn surface area again to be found noncontributing (p = 0.404). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that elevated NLR values can serve as a mortality indicator in burn cases. This will have a great clinical impact by aiding in stratifying the burn patients on admission.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Indices Could Be Additional Predictive Markers for Cesarean Scar Pregnancy.

PROBLEM: Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is characterized by a gestational sac fully or partially implanted in the scar from a previous cesarean section. Systemic immune-inflammation indices (SIIs) have recently been discussed as additional diagnostic markers in placenta accreta and preeclampsia. CSP shares a similar pathogenesis with these diseases, suggesting that assessing the SIIs and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could enhance additional predictability in diagnosing CSP. METHOD OF STUDY: In this study, we analyzed the complete blood counts between 264 women who were confirmed with CSP by ultrasound and 295 women who underwent elective termination. RESULTS: The mean counts of total white cells and neutrophils were significantly higher, whereas the counts of monocytes, lymphocytes, and platelets were significantly lower in the CSP group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the SII, systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), or NLR was significantly higher in the CSP group compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). Given the limited effect of SII and SIRI on the increased risk of developing CSP, the optimal cut-off value for NLR in predicting CSP was 2.87 (area under the curve [AUC] 0.656, 68% sensitivity). The optimal cut-off value for NLR in predicting type 2 CSP was 2.91 (AUC 0.690, 71% sensitivity). CONCLUSIONS: Although ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging images are a gold standard for visualizing the gestational sac's location in the diagnosis of CSP, assessing peripheral blood tests is cost-effective, and NLR may provide additional diagnosis value for CSP.

Potential prognostic predictors of treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic predictors of immunotherapy in patients with advanced endometrial cancer remain unclear. The potential role of inflammatory predictors, including pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet scores, was investigated. METHODS: Between August 2018 and December 2023, 35 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Prognostic predictors were compared, and optimal cut-off values that exhibited the greatest discrimination for overall response, disease control, progression-free survival and overall survival were determined. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the prognostic significance of the predictors. RESULTS: The greatest discrimination for overall response, progression-free survival and overall survival included platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet; the areas under the curve were 0.638, 0.649 and 0.641, respectively. The precise cut-off values of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.92 and 5.40, respectively. The lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio group had a significantly longer progression-free survival (P = 0.001, median survival; 4.0 months vs. 19 months) and longer overall survival (P = 0.002, median survival; 5.0 months vs. 21 months). Of the risk factors assessed, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (hazard ratio = 4.409; 95% CI = 1.10-17.64; P = 0.036) and regimen (hazard ratio = 5.559; 95% CI = 1.26-24.49; P = 0.023) were independently correlated with overall survival. CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced endometrial cancer, pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio may be a prognostic predictor of those who would benefit from immunotherapy.

Pan-Immune-Inflammatory Value is Superior to Other Inflammatory Indicators in Predicting Inpatient Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Severe Coronary Artery Stenosis after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in STEMI Patients.

Background: The inflammatory response to atherosclerosis is a process that leads to coronary artery disease. Pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) has emerged as a new and simple biomarker of inflammation. However, studies on the predictive power of PIV for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) or the degree of coronary artery stenosis are scarce. We aimed to explore the predictive ability of PIV for MACE and the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during hospitalization. Methods: This study included 542 patients who were diagnosed with STEMI and who underwent PCI between 2016 and 2023 and whose PIV and other inflammatory markers were measured. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, risk variables for MACE following PCI and severe coronary stenosis during hospitalization were assessed to create receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and determine the best thresholds for inflammatory markers. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of PIV and other inflammatory markers with the Gensini score (GS). Results: Compared with the systemic inflammatory index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the PIV may have greater predictive value in terms of the occurrence of MACE and the degree of coronary stenosis after PCI in hospitalized STEMI patients. The correlation between the PIV and GS was strong. Conclusions: PIV was superior to the SII, PLR, and NLR in predicting inpatient prognosis and severe coronary stenosis after PCI for STEMI patients.

The relationship of COVID-19 severity with laboratory findings and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients admitted to a large teaching hospital in Iran: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: COVID-19 patients might be admitted to the hospital based on their clinical manifestations or to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to the severity of their symptoms or critical situation. Our main objective was to investigate clinical and demographic factors influencing COVID-19 patients' admission to the ICU and length of stay (LOS) using extracted data from the hospital information systems in Iran. Methods: The data of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 were retrieved from the health information system of Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran between March 2020 and February 2022. The primary outcome was the ICU admission, and the secondary outcome was the LOS. The correlation analysis between laboratory findings and demographic data with ICU admission and LOS was done using SPSS 21.0, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of all the 4156 patients, 2391 (57.5%) were male and the mean age was 58.69 ± 8.19 years. Of these, 9.5% of patients were admitted to ICU at any time point during their hospital stay. Age and laboratory variables such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), ALT (U/L), albumin (g/dL), plasma glucose (mg/dL), ferritin levels (ng/mL), and phosphorous levels (mg/dL) shown the significant relationship with ICU admission. Also, being a smoker and having hypoxemia had a significant relationship with longer stays in the hospital. In this study, we validated a cut-off value of 4.819 for NLR, calculated at hospitalization, as a useful predictor of disease progression and occurrence of serious clinical outcomes, such as ICU admission. Conclusion: The study examined various clinical factors associated with ICU admission in COVID-19 patients. The findings suggest that certain factors can increase the risk of ICU admission and influence the length of hospital stay which should be focused in future studies.

Efficacy and prognostic factors of stereotactic body radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for pulmonary oligometastases: a preliminary retrospective cohort study.

Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) combined immunotherapy has a synergistic effect on patients with stage IV tumors. However, the efficacy and prognostic factors analysis of SBRT combined immunotherapy for patients with pulmonary oligometastases have rarely been reported in the studies. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy and prognostic factors analysis of SBRT combined immunotherapy for patients with oligometastatic lung tumors. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 43 patients with advanced tumors who received SBRT combined with immunotherapy for pulmonary oligometastases from October 2018 to October 2021. Local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses of OS were performed using the Cox regression model, and the P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) after SBRT was generated. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship of planning target volume (PTV) with absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) before and after SBRT and with neutrophil count (NE) after SBRT. Additionally, linear regression was used to examine the relationship between ALC after SBRT and clinical factors. Results: A total of 43 patients with pulmonary oligometastases receiving SBRT combined with immunotherapy were included in the study. The change in NLR after SBRT was statistically significant (P<0.001). At 1 and 2 years, respectively, the LC rates were 90.3% and 87.5%, the OS rates were 83.46% and 60.99%, and the PFS rates were 69.92% and 54.25%, with a median PFS of 27.00 (17.84-36.13) months. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that a shorter interval between radiotherapy and immunization [≤21 days; hazard ratio (HR) =1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06-0.89; P=0.02] and a low NLR after SBRT (HR =0.24, 95% CI: 1.01-1.9; P=0.03) were associated with improved OS. The ROC curve identified 4.12 as the cutoff value for predicting OS based on NLR after SBRT. NLR after SBRT ≤4.12 significantly extended OS compared to NLR after SBRT >4.12 (log-rank P=0.001). Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis showed that PTV was negatively correlated with ALC after SBRT. Conclusions: Our preliminary research shows that SBRT combined with immunotherapy has a good effect, and NLR after SBRT is a poor prognostic factor for OS. Larger PTV volume is associated with decreased ALC after SBRT.

Prognostic role of dynamic changes in inflammatory indicators in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors-a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become one of the standard treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without driver mutations. However, a considerable proportion of patients suffer from severe immune side effects and fail to respond to ICIs. As effective biomarkers, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, microsatellite instability (MSI), the tumor mutation burden (TMB) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) require invasive procedures that place heavy physical and psychological burdens on patients. This study aims to identify simple and effective markers to optimize patient selection through therapeutic decisions and outcome prediction. Methods: This retrospective study comprised 95 patients with metastatic NSCLC who were treated with ICIs either as the standard of care or in a clinical trial. The following data were extracted from the medical records. The baseline and dynamic neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated in the present study. Responses were assessed by computed tomography (CT) imaging and classified according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 every 6-12 weeks during treatment. Results: In total, 95 patients were included in the present study. The median age of patients was 61 years, 83.2% (79/95) patients were male, 62.1% (59/95) were former or current smokers, 66.3% (63/95) had adenocarcinoma, 93.7% (89/95) had stage IV disease, and 87.4% were without molecular alterations. A higher overall response rate (ORR) and prolonged median progression-free survival (PFS) was observed in patients with a lower cycle 3 (C3) NLR [7.7 vs. 5.5 months, hazard ratio (HR): 1.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90-3.22; P=0.12] and derived NLR (dNLR) (8.2 vs. 5.6 months, HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 0.94-2.97; P=0.08). After two cycles of ICI treatment, patients who had an increased NLR, dNLR, and PLR had a lower ORR and an inferior median PFS than those with a decreased NLR (5.5 vs. 8.5 months, HR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.09-3.21; P=0.02), dNLR (5.6 vs. 8.4 months, HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.87-2.57; P=0.15), and PLR (11.8 vs. 5.5 months, HR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.32-3.94; P=0.003). Moreover, patients with both an increased NLR and PLR had a worse ORR and median PFS than those with either an increased NLR or PLR, or both an increased NLR and PLR (11.8 vs. 5.5 vs. 5.6 months, P=0.003). In addition, the dynamic changes in the PLR could serve as an independent predictive factor of PFS in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs. Conclusions: Elevated dynamic changes in the NLR and PLR were associated with lower response rates and shorter PFS in the patients with NSCLC treated with ICIs. Our results also highlight the role of dynamic changes in the PLR in identifying patients with NSCLC who could benefit from ICIs.

The prognostic value of preoperative peripheral blood inflammatory biomarkers in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Recent evidence indicates that inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of CCA. This meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the prognostic implications of preoperative inflammatory markers, specifically NLR, PLR, and LMR, in patients with eCCA. By focusing on these preoperative biomarkers, this study aims to provide valuable insights into their prognostic value and potential utility in clinical practice. Methods: For this analysis, comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from inception to May 2024. The primary outcomes of interest focused on the association between the levels of NLR, PLR, and LMR and the prognosis of eCCA patients. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 17.0 software. Results: The meta-analysis, involving 20 retrospective studies with 5553 participants, revealed significant correlations between preoperative biomarkers and the prognosis of eCCA patients. Elevated NLR, PLR, and decreased LMR levels were extensively studied regarding overall survival (OS) in eCCA patients. Elevated NLR was an independent predictor of poor OS (HR 1.86, p < 0.001), similar to elevated PLR (HR 1.76, p < 0.001), while decreased LMR predicted poor OS (HR 2.16, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses based on eCCA subtypes and curative surgery status showed consistent results. Conclusions: In conclusion, our study emphasizes the clinical significance of assessing NLR, PLR, and LMR preoperatively to predict patient prognosis. Elevated NLR and PLR values, along with decreased LMR values, were linked to poorer overall survival (OS). Large-scale prospective cohort studies are required to confirm their independent prognostic value in eCCA. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42024551031.

Inflammatory indexes and anemia in chronic kidney disease: correlation and survival analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2018.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no research on the correlation between novel inflammatory indexes systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the risk of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) population, as well as survival analysis in CKD with anemia. METHODS: This investigation encompassed 4444 adult subjects out of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2018. The study utilized multi-variable logistic regression to assess the relationship between SII, NLR, PLR, and anemia risk occurrence in CKD population. Survival differences in CKD patients with anemia, based on varying levels of SII, NLR, and PLR were evaluated employing Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The adjusted logistic regression model demonstrates that SII, NLR, and PLR are associated with the risk of anemia occurrence in CKD population. Kaplan-Meier's analysis reveals significant differences in survival rates among CKD patients with anemia stratified by NLR levels. The adjusted Cox proportional hazards model shows that the higher NLR group has a 30% elevated risk of all-cause mortality contrasted with lower group (hazard ratio, HR: 1.30, confidence interval (CI) [1.01, 1.66], p value <.04). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) demonstrates no nonlinear relationship between NLR and all-cause mortality. Lastly, sub-cohort analysis indicates that in populations with diabetes, hypertension, and hyperuricemia, NLR levels have a greater impact on all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Controlling inflammation may reduce the occurrence of anemia in CKD populations, with NLR serving to be a potential prognostic indicator for survival results within CKD patients suffering from co-morbid anemia.

GPCRs overexpression and impaired fMLP-induced functions in neutrophils from chronic kidney disease patients.

Introduction: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed on neutrophils regulate their mobilization from the bone marrow into the blood, their half-live in the circulation, and their pro- and anti-inflammatory activities during inflammation. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with systemic inflammatory responses, and neutrophilia is a hallmark of CKD onset and progression. Nonetheless, the role of neutrophils in CKD is currently unclear. Methods: Blood and renal tissue were collected from non-dialysis CKD (grade 3 - 5) patients to evaluate GPCR neutrophil expressions and functions in CKD development. Results: CKD patients presented a higher blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which was inversely correlated with the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). A higher frequency of neutrophils expressing the senescent GPCR receptor (CXCR4) and activation markers (CD18+CD11b+CD62L+) was detected in CKD patients. Moreover, CKD neutrophils expressed higher amounts of GPCR formyl peptide receptors (FPR) 1 and 2, known as neutrophil pro- and anti-inflammatory receptors, respectively. Cytoskeletal organization, migration, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by CKD neutrophils were impaired in response to the FPR1 agonist (fMLP), despite the higher expression of FPR1. In addition, CKD neutrophils presented enhanced intracellular, but reduced membrane expression of the protein Annexin A1 (AnxA1), and an impaired ability to secrete it into the extracellular compartment. Secreted and phosphorylated AnxA1 is a recognized ligand of FPR2, pivotal in anti-inflammatory and efferocytosis effects. CKD renal tissue presented a low number of neutrophils, which were AnxA1+. Conclusion: Together, these data highlight that CKD neutrophils overexpress GPCRs, which may contribute to an unbalanced aging process in the circulation, migration into inflamed tissues, and efferocytosis.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels over time correlate to all-cause hospital mortality in sepsis.

Objective: This research aims to investigate the prognosis value using the time-weighted average neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (TWA-NLR) for predicting all-cause hospital mortality among sepsis patients. Data were analyzed through the use of the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD 2.0) as well as Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV 2.2 (MIMIC-IV 2.2). Methods: Septic patients from both eICU-CRD 2.0 as well as MIMIC-IV 2.2 databases were included. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) were available for analysis, utilizing complete blood counts obtained on days one, four, and seven following ICU admission. The TWA-NLR was computed at the end of the seven days, and patients were then stratified based on TWA-NLR thresholds. 90-day all-cause mortality during hospitalization was the primary objective, with 60-day all-cause hospital mortality as a secondary objective. The correlation between TWA-NLR and sepsis patients' primary outcome was analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regressions. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was conducted in an attempt to confirm this association further, and subgroup analyses were employed to evaluate the correlation across various comorbidity groups. Results: 3921 patients were included from the eICU-CRD 2.0, and the hospital mortality rate was 20.8 %. Both multivariable as well as univariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses revealed that TWA-NLR was independently correlated with 90-day all-cause hospital mortality, yielding a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.02 (95 % CI 1.01-1.02, P-value<0.01) as well as 1.12 (95 % CI 1.01-1.15, P-value<0.01), respectively. The RCS analysis demonstrated a significant nonlinear relationship between TWA-NLR and 90-day all-cause hospital mortality risk. The study subjects were divided into higher (>10.5) and lower (≤10.5) TWA-NLR cohorts. A significantly decreased incidence of 90-day all-cause hospital mortality (HR = 0.56, 95 % CI 0.48-0.64, P-value<0.01) and longer median survival time (40 days vs 24 days, P-value<0.05) were observed in the lower TWA-NLR cohort. However, septic patients with chronic pulmonary (interaction of P-value = 0.009) or renal disease (interaction of P-value = 0.008) exhibited significant interactive associations between TWA-NLR and 90-day all-cause hospital mortality, suggesting the predictive power of TWA-NLR may be limited in these subgroups. The MIMIC-IV 2.2 was utilized as a validation cohort and exhibited a similar pattern. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that TWA-NLR is a powerful and independent prognostic indicator for 90-day all-cause hospital mortality among septic patients, and the TWA-NLR cutoff value may prove a useful method for identifying high-risk septic patients.