Combining neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio predicted the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation / 中华器官移植杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the prognostic values of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)and NLR-PLR score for carcinoma(HCC)patients undergoing liver transplantation(LT).Methods:From July 2015 to October 2021, clinical data are retrospectively reviewed for 110 HCC patients undergoing orthotopic LT at Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University.The values of NLR and PLR were calculated.And the cut-off values of NLR and PLR were obtained by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and then grouped according to the cut-off values.Survival time is analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test performed for inter-group comparison.Univariate and multivariate analyses are performed based on Cox proportional risk regression model.NLR <3.37 and PLR <105.96 are denoted as 0 point while NLR ≥3.37 and PLR ≥105.96 as 1 point.Two points are added up as NLR-PLR score.According to NLR-PLR score, they are divided into 3 groups of 0, 1 and 2.Results:Median overall survival(OS)is 27 months in patients with NLR-PLR score 0, 26.5 months in patients with NLR-PLR score 1 and 6 months in patients with NLR-PLR score 2.Median OS in patients with NLR-PLR score 2 is significantly shorter than that in those with NLR-PLR score 0/1.And the difference is statistically significant( P<0.001).Median disease-free survival(DFS)is 24.5 months in NLR-PLR 0 group, 24 months in NLR-PLR 1 group and 6 months in NLR-PLR 2 group.The difference is statistically significant( P=0.002).Univariate analysis show that Child-Pugh grade, MELD score, NLR/PLR level, NLR-PLR score, complying with University of California San Francisco Criteria(UCSF)criteria and absence/presence of microvascular invasion(MVI)have an impact on patient survival.Further multivariate analysis show that NLR-PLR score, complying with UCSF criteria and MELD score are independent risk factors affecting patients' prognosis and survival. Conclusions:NLR, PLR and NLR-PLR score may predict long-term survival of patients.And NLR-PLR score is an independent risk factor for patient survival.It has more predictive value than NLR/PLR.