Correlation Between NLR Combined with PLR Score and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation

Abstract

Yishan Niu,1 Xiaoye Yuan,2 Fansheng Guo,1 Jinglin Cao,1 Yang Wang,1 Xin Zhao,1 Jian Dou,1 Qiang Zeng1 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gerontology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qiang Zeng, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, No. 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: This investigation evaluated the prognostic significance of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and introduced a combined NLR-PLR score to evaluate the correlation between NLR-PLR score and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence.Material/Methods: We enrolled 110 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (LT) for HCC. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were assessed, and appropriate cut-off values were established. The NLR-PLR score ranged from 0 to 2 as follows: score of 2, high NLR (≥ 3.37) and high PLR (≥ 105.96); score of 1, either high NLR or high PLR; score of 0, neither high NLR nor high PLR.Results: The median overall survival (OS) of patients with NLR-PLR score of 0, 1 and 2 was 27, 26.5, and 6 months, respectively. The median OS of patients with NLR-PLR score of 2 was shorter than those with 0 (P < 0.001) and 1 (P < 0.001). The median disease-free survival (DFS) time of patients with NLR-PLR score of 0, 1 and 2 was 24.5, 24, and 6 months, The median DFS of patients with NLR-PLR score of 2 was shorter than those with 0 (P = 0.001) and 1 (P = 0.015). Multivariate analysis showed that NLR-PLR score was an independent risk factor for prognosis and survival.Conclusion: NLR, PLR and NLR-PLR score can predict the long-term survival of patients, and NLR-PLR score, having more predictive value than NLR and PLR alone is an independent risk factor for patient survival. more predictive value than NLR and PLR alone.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, NLR-PLR score, prognosis

Keywords

• hepatocellular carcinom • liver transplantation • neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio • platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio • nlr-plr score • prognosis