Role of Postoperative C-Reactive Protein Levels in Predicting Prognosis After Surgical Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

The seven-day cumulative post-esophagectomy inflammatory response predicts cancer recurrence

BACKGROUND

The relationship between postoperative cumulative systemic inflammation and cancer survival needs to be investigated. We developed an approach to the prognostication of postoperative esophageal cancer by establishing low and high cut-off values for the C-reactive protein (CRP) area under the curve (AUC) at 7 and 14 days after esophagectomy.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-five consecutive patients with biopsy-proven invasive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) who underwent esophagectomies were evaluated. Postoperative CRP levels were analyzed for the first 14 days after surgery. The AUC on days 7 and 14 were calculated and compared with clinicopathological features and survival. The cut-off values for CRP at 7 days (CRP 7 d) and 14 days (CRP 14 d) were 599 mg/L and 1153 mg/L, respectively.

RESULTS

The patients in the low CRP 7 d group had significantly better recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS), not that in the low CRP 14d group. The OS rates in the high CRP groups at PODs 1, 3, 10, and 14 were significantly lower than those in the low CRP groups. Postoperative complications were more common in the high CRP groups on PODs 3, 10, and 14. Univariate analyses revealed that pTNM stage, depth of tumor invasion, tumor location, lymph node involvement, and CRP 7 d were significant prognostic factors for both OS and RFS. The Cox proportional hazards model identified pTNM, tumor location, and CRP 7d as independent prognostic factors for the RFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Early prediction of patients with postoperative complications, and adequate management will suppress the elevation of CRP 7 d and further suppress the CRP value in the late postoperative period, which may improve the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy.

Clinical impact of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio of the 7th postoperative day on prognosis after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery

PURPOSE

C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) has been utilized as a prognostic factor in various carcinomas. We investigated the relationship between preoperative, postoperative day (POD) 1, and POD 7 CARs and the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Three hundred twenty patients with CRC who underwent laparoscopic radical resection between May 2011 and December 2016 were enrolled. Patients were selected into 2 groups, high CAR and low CAR (n=72/group), based on preoperative, POD 1, and POD 7 CARs. The relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between groups using propensity score matching.

RESULTS

The high CAR group had a significantly worse RFS (P<0.001) and OS (P=0.002) at POD 7 than those in the low CAR group. However, in preoperative and POD 1 analysis, no differences were observed.

CONCLUSION

In patients with CRC, CAR of POD 7 was a significant prognostic factor.

C-Reactive Protein Levels After Esophagectomy are Associated with Increased Surgical Complications and Poor Prognosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

BACKGROUND

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are reported to predict complications and survival after surgery in various cancers. However, the relationship between postoperative CRP levels and short- and long-term outcomes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients after esophagectomy is unclear.

METHOD

We reviewed the records of 543 ESCC patients who underwent subtotal esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction at Kumamoto University Hospital between August 2010 and July 2021. Blood tests for CRP were done on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 3, 5 or 6, and 7 or 8.

RESULTS

The mean CRP levels on day 1, day 3, day 5/6, and day 7/8 were 6.68 ± 0.13 mg/dL, 11.49 ± 0.27 mg/dL, 7.48 ± 0.26 mg/dL, and 5.38 ± 0.22 mg/dL, respectively. Mean CRP levels were highest on day 3, and CRP levels after day 3 correlated with grade >2 complications based on the Clavien-Dindo classification. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis established the optimal cut-off value for CRP day 3 levels to be 12.19 mg/dL. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found that high CRP day 3 levels significantly correlated with grade >2 complications (odds ratio [OR] 3.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.56-5.35; p < 0.001). Moreover, high day 7/8 CRP levels (>3.52) correlated with postoperative survival, and based on multivariate logistic regression analyses, were significantly associated with poor prognosis (hazard ratio 1.67, 95% CI 1.14-2.43; p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest CRP day 3 levels as a potential biomarker for predicting postoperative complications and that CRP day 7/8 levels have potential prognostic value for ESCC patients after esophagectomy.

Prognostic impact of postoperative systemic inflammatory response in patients with stage II/III gastric cancer

This study examined whether the systemic inflammatory response present in the early phase of the postoperative state correlates with long-term outcomes and to identify markers in patients with stage II/III gastric cancer. 444 consecutive patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for stage II/III gastric cancer were retrospectively reviewed. We evaluated maximum serum C-reactive protein (CRP_max) and white blood cell count (WBC_max), defined as the maximum serum CRP level and maximum WBC count during the interval from surgery until discharge, as systemic inflammation markers. In univariate analyses, CRP_max, WBC_max and infectious complications were significantly associated with both overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (p < 0.001, p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that high-CRP_max (> 9.2 mg/dL) was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-2.36, p = 0.003) and RFS (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12-2.18, p = 0.009), while WBC_max and infectious complications were not. CRP_max, which reflects the magnitude of systemic inflammation induced by surgical stress and postoperative complications in the early phase after surgery, may be a promising prognostic indicator in patients with stage II/III gastric cancer who undergo curative resection.

Definition and risk factors of early recurrence based on affecting prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after radical resection

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21 months was defined as the optimal threshold of RFS for dividing patients into early and late recurrence according to the influence on OS by minimum P-value method.

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Primary tumor location, pathological T stage, positive lymph nodes, and TLNs were shown to be independently associated with early recurrence.

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For the late recurrent patients, there was a significant survival advantage after recurrence for concurrent chemoradiotherapy than sequential chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone.

Early recurrence after surgery could affect cancerous patients’ prognosis, but the definition of early recurrence and its risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients are still unclear. This study analyzed the clinical data of 468 post-surgery recurrent ESCC patients retrospectively. A minimum p-value approach was used to evaluate the optimal cut-off value of recurrence free survival (RFS) to define early recurrence. Risk factors of early recurrence were developed based on a Cox model. The optimal cut-off value of RFS to distinguish early recurrence was 21 months (p <0.001). Independent risk factors for early recurrence included tumor locations (HR=0.562, p <0.001), pathological T stage (HR=1.829, p <0.001), tumor diameter (HR=1.344, p = 0.039), positive lymph nodes (HR=1.361, p <0.001), and total resected lymph nodes (HR=1.271, p = 044). For the late recurrent patients, there was a much more significant survival advantage for recurrence after concurrent chemoradiotherapy than that after sequential chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone (p = 0.0066). In conclusion, this study defined 21 months of RFS as early recurrence and also identified its risk factors. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was suggested as preferred post-relapse treatment for late recurrent ESCC patients.

Perioperative Predictive Markers for Recurrence of Esophageal Cancer after Esophagectomy

Introduction

We studied whether perioperative nutritional, immunological factors or postoperative inflammatory responses predicted esophageal cancer (EC) progression and prognosis in patients who received esophagectomies.

Methods

We evaluated preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI), BMI, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), intraoperative blood loss, postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) max, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) in 111 patients with pStage I-IV squamous cell EC who received esophagectomies. Optimal cutoff values for each continuous parameter were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves and Youden indices. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to derive independent prognostic factors. Propensity score matching using inverse probability of treatment weighting was used in groups divided by Youden indices, as appropriate.

Results

Cutoff values of continuous variables were NLR: 2.27, PNI: 44.2, blood loss: 159 mL, and CRPmax: 21.7 mg/dL. In multivariate analyses, PNI, CRPmax, and intraoperative blood loss were independent prognostic factors for OS and RFS. Among patients with stage II-IV disease, low PNI was associated with shorter RFS. Postoperative respiratory complications were associated with both higher CRP and shorter RFS.

Discussion/Conclusions

Low preoperative PNI and high postoperative inflammatory response were associated with postoperative EC progression after esophagectomy. Preoperative nutritional interventions or suppression of postoperative inflammatory response, including respiratory complications, may improve patient prognosis.

Biomarkers for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma-A Novel View on Inflammation

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive disease with limited treatment response and devastating prognosis. Exposure to asbestos and chronic inflammation are acknowledged as main risk factors. Since immune therapy evolved as a promising novel treatment modality, we want to reevaluate and summarize the role of the inflammatory system in MPM. This review focuses on local tumor associated inflammation on the one hand and systemic inflammatory markers, and their impact on MPM outcome, on the other hand. Identification of new biomarkers helps to select optimal patient tailored therapy, avoid ineffective treatment with its related side effects and consequently improves patient's outcome in this rare disease. Additionally, a better understanding of the tumor promoting and tumor suppressing inflammatory processes, influencing MPM pathogenesis and progression, might also reveal possible new targets for MPM treatment. After reviewing the currently available literature and according to our own research, it is concluded that the suppression of the specific immune system and the activation of its innate counterpart are crucial drivers of MPM aggressiveness translating to poor patient outcome.

Nutritional assessment and risk factors associated to malnutrition in patients with esophageal cancer

INTRODUCTION

Esophageal cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in China. Patients with esophageal cancer are more likely to suffer from malnutrition. The purpose of this study is to assess nutritional status of patients with esophageal cancer from multiple perspectives and analyze the risk factors.

METHODS

A total of 1482 esophageal cancer patients were enrolled in the study. We investigated the Scored Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) scores, NRS-2002 scores, Karnofsky performance status scores, anthropometric, and laboratory indicators of patients. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors of nutritional status.

RESULTS

PG-SGA (≥4) and NRS-2002 (≥3) showed the incidence of malnutrition were 76% and 50%, respectively. In the patients with PG-SGA score ≥4, the proportion of patients who did not receive any nutritional support was 60%. The incidence of malnutrition in females was significantly higher than that in males. Besides, abnormality rates of Red blood cell (P < 0.001), MAC (P = 0.037), and MAMC (P < 0.001) in males was significantly higher than that in females, while abnormality rates of TSF (P < 0.001) was lower than that in females. After adjusted with the other potential risk factors listed, unconditional logistic regression analysis indicated smoking (odds ratio: 2.868, 95% confidence interval: 1.660-4.954), drinking (OR: 1.726, 95% CI: 1.099-2.712), family history (OR: 1.840, 95% CI: 1.132-2.992), radiotherapy or chemotherapy (OR: 1.594, 95% CI: 1.065-2.387), and pathological stage (OR: 2.263, 95% CI: 1.084-4.726) might be the risk factors of nutritional status, while nutritional support can reduce the risk of malnutrition.

CONCLUSION

Effective nutritional risk assessment methods and nutritional intervention measures can be adopted according to the research data to improve quality of life of esophageal cancer patients.

Circulating microRNA/isomiRs as novel biomarkers of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

MicroRNA (miR)s are promising diagnostic biomarkers of cancer. Recent next generation sequencer (NGS) studies have found that isoforms of micro RNA (isomiR) circulate in the bloodstream similarly to mature micro RNA (miR). We hypothesized that combination of circulating miR and isomiRs detected by NGS are potentially powerful cancer biomarker. The present study aimed to investigate their application in esophageal cancer.

METHODS

Serum samples from patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and age and sex matched healthy control (HC) individuals were investigated for the expression of miR/isomiRs using NGS. Candidate miR/isomiRs which met the criteria in the 1st group (ESCC = 18 and HC = 12) were validated in the 2nd group (ESCC = 30 and HC = 30). A diagnostic panel was generated using miR/isomiRs that were consistently confirmed in the 1st and 2nd groups. Accuracy of the panel was tested then in the 3rd group (ESCC = 18 and HC = 18). Their use was also investigated in 22 paired samples obtained pre- and post-treatment, and in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAD) and high-grade dysplasia (HGD).

RESULTS

Twenty-four miR/isomiRs met the criteria for diagnostic biomarker in the 1st and 2nd group. A multiple regression model selected one mature miR (miR-30a-5p) and two isomiRs (isoform of miR-574-3p and miR-205-5p). The index calculated from the diagnostic panel was significantly higher in ESCC patients than in the HCs (13.3±8.9 vs. 3.1±1.3, p<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves of the panel index was 0.95. Sensitivity and specificity were 93.8%, and 81% in the 1st and 2nd groups, and 88.9% and 72.3% in the 3rd group, respectively. The panel index was significantly lower in patients with EAD (6.2±4.5) and HGD (4.2±1.7) than in those with ESCC and was significantly decreased at post-treatment compared with pre-treatment (6.2±5.6 vs 11.6±11.5, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Our diagnostic panel had high accuracy in the diagnosis of ESCC. MiR/isomiRs detected by NGS could serve as novel biomarkers of ESCC.

Significance of the 7th postoperative day neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of systemic inflammation and is associated with poor survival in localized or metastatic cancer. Preoperative NLR in colorectal cancer reportedly correlates with recurrence-free survival and is useful as a recurrence prediction factor. No reports have yet investigated recurrence factors using postoperative NLR. This study assessed the predictive value of NLR preoperatively and on the first (NLR1) and seventh day (NLR7) postoperatively in patients with stage II colorectal cancer.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients undergoing colorectal resection at a single institution between January 2012 and December 2016; we used medical records of 176 consecutive patients with stage II colorectal cancer undergoing curative tumor resection. NLRs as well as clinical, histopathologic, and laboratory data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify prognostic factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS).

RESULTS

Univariate analysis revealed that elevated NLR, NLR7, and lymphatic invasion were significantly associated with decreased RFS (p < 0.05). NLR7 was revealed as significant via multivariate analysis (p = 0.013). The 3-year RFS rate was 87.1% for patients with normal NLR7 and 70.3% for those with elevated NLR7.

CONCLUSION

Elevated seventh-day postoperative NLR is a significant independent predictor of reduced RFS for patients with stage II colorectal cancer and may be a potential biomarker for identifying candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.

The impact of postoperative inflammation on recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammatory response is strongly linked to among cancer development, progression and poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of postoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the prognoses of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

A total of 467 patients with stage I-III CRC who underwent curative surgery were retrospectively analyzed. To precisely evaluate the effect of postoperative inflammatory status on prognosis in CRC patients, we excluded patients with postoperative complication or elevated preoperative CRP level (CRP > 1.0 mg/dL). Patients were divided into two groups based on their highest post-resection CRP levels (max CRP): the low CRP group (LCG; < 9.0 mg/dL, n = 385) and high CRP group (HCG; ≥ 9.0 mg/dL, n = 82). Furthermore, the effect of inflammation on malignant potential of CRC cells was evaluated using in vitro peritoneal dissemination model.

RESULTS

HCG patients showed significantly worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) than LCG patients (p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis revealed that a higher max CRP was an independent prognostic factor for RFS (HR: 2.07, 95% CI 1.04-3.96, p = 0.038). Concerning the risk factors for high max CRP level, multivariate analysis revealed that older age (p < 0.001), male sex (p < 0.001), higher BMI (p = 0.005), right-sided colorectal cancer (p = 0.008), and longer operative time (p = 0.007) were independent risk factors. A higher max CRP was also significantly associated with peritoneal recurrence (p < 0.001). Additionally, recombinant cytokines enhanced the adhesive ability of CRC cells to mesothelial cell in vitro (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative inflammation may be a possible mechanism portending the poor prognosis of CRC patients.

Early postoperative inflammatory response by procedure types: stapler-based segmentectomy versus lobectomy

OBJECTIVE

Perioperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels have become a contentious topic on the surgical outcome of lung cancer, but the influence of the procedure types has not been precisely investigated. From this viewpoint, we compared two types of thoracoscopic anatomical lung resection: segmentectomy and lobectomy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study involving patients who underwent standardized anatomical lung resection at a single institute from 2014 to 2017; CRP levels were routinely measured on postoperative days 1, 3, and 5. Changes in the CRP levels from the preoperative period were calculated (ΔCRP), and factors associated with a higher ΔCRP value were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among 186 patients included, 91 (48.9%) patients underwent stapler-based segmentectomy and 95 (51.1%) patients underwent lobectomy. The segmentectomy group showed significantly higher ΔCRP values on every measurement day than the lobectomy group, in spite of shorter operation time, smaller blood loss, shorter drainage periods, shorter dissection time, and limited lymph node dissection. The number of stapler cartridges for the lung parenchyma was significantly larger in the segmentectomy group. Regression analyses indicated that procedure type and smoking history were associated with a higher ΔCRP value, whereas no significant difference was indicated in the smoking history between the groups.

CONCLUSION

In our cohort, stapler-based thoracoscopic segmentectomy was associated with an increase in acute inflammatory response despite favorable perioperative outcome compared to lobectomy. Local surgical stress and damage in the remaining segments might play a key role and warrants further investigation.

Preoperative serum C-reactive protein levels and postoperative survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis

Objectives

This study tested the relationship between preoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and cancer-specific prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who have undergone curative resection.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study on 961 patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer who underwent curative esophagectomy from 2006 to 2012 at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Preoperative serum CRP levels were determined, and a cutoff value of 5.0 mg/mL was established. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the selection bias between patients with low CRP (≤ 5.0 mg/mL) and those with high CRP (> 5.0 mg/mL) levels based on age, tumor-lymph node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and tumor grade. The prognostic value of preoperative CRP levels was determined using life table, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox proportional hazards analyzes.

Results

In the unmatched cohort, the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 57 and 53%, respectively, in patients with high preoperative CRP levels (> 5.0 mg/mL) and 68 and 56%, respectively, in those with low preoperative CRP levels (≤ 5.0 mg/mL). The difference in the survival rates of the 2 groups was significant (p = 0.004). Univariate survival analysis revealed that the preoperative CRP levels, TNM stage, tumor grade, drinking history, and anastomosis method were prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Before conducting PSM, the low-CRP group had a lower age (p = 0.001), lower histological grade (p = 0.086), and lower TNM stage (p = 0.254).

After PSM, 176 patients with low CRP levels and 176 of those with high CRP levels were enrolled in the analysis. In the matched cohort, the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 56 and 50%, respectively, in patients with high preoperative CRP levels (> 5.0 mg/mL) and 68 and 56%, respectively, in those with low preoperative CRP levels (≤ 5.0 mg/mL). The difference in the survival rates between the low- and high-CRP groups was significant (p = 0.044). Multivariate analysis of the matched patients revealed that the TNM stage and preoperative CRP level were independent prognostic factors for OS.

Conclusions

A high preoperative CRP level (> 5.0 mg/mL) predicts worse survival prognosis in patients who have undergone curative resection for esophageal squamous cell cancer.

The postoperative peak number of leukocytes after hepatectomy is a significant prognostic factor for cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal disease. A new predictive factor to identify patients suitable for adjuvant chemotherapy is needed. The relationship between the long-term prognosis and the perioperative immune responses in patients with CCA remains unclear. We therefore investigated the clinical impact of perioperative immune responses on the long-term prognosis in patients receiving hepatectomy for CCA. We investigated 81 patients who underwent hepatectomy between February 2000 and October 2012: 57 intra-hepatic CCA (iCCA) patients and 24 extra-hepatic CCA (eCCA) patients. We checked the postoperative level of C-reactive protein and the numbers of leukocytes. A multivariate analysis of the clinicopathological factors identified 2 significant risk factors for the overall survival: The postoperative maximum number of leukocytes (PNL) among patient factors (P=0.0406) and the TNM-stage among tumor factors (P=0.0059). On evaluating the distribution of each kind of leukocyte with a multivariate analysis, both the postoperative maximum number of neutrophils (PNN) and the postoperative maximum number of eosinophils (PNE) were detected as significant factors among leukocytes (PNN/PNE, P=0.0367/0.0083). In conclusion, the PNL after hepatectomy was significantly associated with the long-term prognosis in patients with CCA. Changes in the numbers of leukocytes after hepatectomy may be a marker on treatment for CCA.

Postoperative Level of C-Reactive Protein Is a Prognosticator After Esophageal Cancer Surgery With Perioperative Steroid Therapy and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Care

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the impact of postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) level on survival in patients with esophageal cancer who received perioperative steroid therapy and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Overall, 115 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into those with a high CRP level (≥4.0 mg/dl) on postoperative day 4 and those with low CRP level (<4.0 mg/dl). The risk factors for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were identified.

RESULTS

The OS and RFS rates at 5 years after surgery were significantly low in patients with high CRP level on postoperative day 4. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that high CRP level on postoperative day 4 was a significant independent risk factor for OS and RFS.

CONCLUSION

The present results suggest that the postoperative CRP level can be a prognosticator in patients with esophageal cancer who have received perioperative steroid therapy and ERAS care.

Meaning of C-reactive protein around esophagectomy for cStage III esophageal cancer

PURPOSE

The prognosis of esophageal cancer is dismal, and the 3-year overall survival of cStage III does not reach 50.0%. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-known protein that reflects the short- and long-term operative outcomes of esophageal cancer. However, since elevated CRP levels are often observed in cStage III esophageal cancer, whether or not CRP still reflects the prognosis is unclear.

METHODS

Eighty-four patients who were diagnosed with cStage III esophageal cancer and underwent R0/1 operation from January 2007 to December 2014 were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

The mean age was 66.8 years, and the majority of patients were male. The median preoperative and postoperative CRP levels were 0.15 and 1.47 mg/dl, respectively. A majority of the patients underwent thoracoscopic surgery, and the median blood loss and operation duration were 456 ml and 11.6 h, respectively. Forty-six patients (54.8%) died during the observation period, and the 3-year overall survival was 52.4%. A multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative CRP level, postoperative albumin level, blood loss, and complications were independent prognostic factors. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that an elevated postoperative CRP level was affected by the operation duration and preoperative CRP levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the preoperative CRP level is a prognostic factor for cStage III esophageal cancer and that postoperative elevation in the CRP level is affected by the operation duration.

Prognostic value of the combination of pre- and postoperative C-reactive protein in colorectal cancer patients

PURPOSE

Inflammation is closely related to cancer development and progression. This retrospective study investigated the prognostic value of the combination of pre- and postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

The subjects of this study were 406 patients who underwent surgery for CRC.

RESULTS

Based on receiver-operating characteristic analysis, patients were divided into the following groups: those with a preoperative CRP of ≥ 0.5 mg/dL (pre-CRP^High), those with a preoperative CRP of < 0.5 mg/dL (pre-CRP^Low), those with a postoperative CRP of ≥ 17.0 mg/dL (post-CRP^High), and those with a postoperative CRP of < 17.0 mg/dL (post-CRP^Low). They were then allocated to one of the following three groups: Group A, comprised of those in the pre-CRP^High and post-CRP^High groups; Group B, comprised of those in either the pre-CRP^High and post-CRP^Low or pre-CRP^Low and post-CRP^High groups; and Group C, comprised of those in the pre-CRP^Low and post-CRP^Low groups. The disease-specific 5-year survival rates were 53.8%, 72.8%, and 87.2% in Groups A, B, and C, respectively, and these differences were significant. Finally, multivariate analysis revealed that the combination of pre- and postoperative CRP levels was an independent prognostic indicator.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of pre- and postoperative CRP was predictive of the prognosis of CRC patients.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy in the prone position improves postoperative outcomes: role of C-reactive protein as an indicator of surgical invasiveness

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to assess serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level immediately after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) as a surrogate of surgical invasiveness in patients who underwent esophagectomy.

METHODS

In total, 104 patients were enrolled in the study: 37 patients underwent MIE in the left lateral decubitus position (MIE-LP) and 67 patients underwent MIE in the prone position (MIE-PP). Serum CRP levels were assessed on POD 1, 3, 5, and 7 after MIE, and were compared with surgical outcomes and duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to investigate less invasiveness of the MIE.

RESULTS

Reduced serum CRP level on POD 1 was associated with PP during MIE (P < 0.001) and decreased blood loss (P = 0.03). MIE-PP was identified as a significant independent predictor of reduced CRP level on POD 1 (odds ratio 3.65, P = 0.042). CRP level on POD 7 was associated with gender (P = 0.02), position of MIE (P = 0.011), blood loss (P = 0.02), and respiratory complications and/or anastomotic leakage (P < 0.001). Postoperative respiratory and/or anastomotic complication was identified as a significant predictor of elevated serum CRP level on POD 7 (odds ratio 3.44, P = 0.048). Shorter duration of SIRS was shown in the patients with reduced serum CRP level on POD 1 and 7 (P = 0.03 and P < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Serial assessments of serum CRP level immediately after MIE may be a possible indicator that can reflect surgical invasiveness and postoperative complications.

Lnc2Catlas: an atlas of long noncoding RNAs associated with risk of cancers

Lnc2Catlas (http://lnc2catlas.bioinfotech.org/) is an atlas of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with cancer risk. LncRNAs are a class of functional noncoding RNAs with lengths over 200 nt and play a vital role in diverse biological processes. Increasing evidence shows that lncRNA dysfunction is associated with many human cancers/diseases. It is therefore important to understand the underlying relationship between lncRNAs and cancers. To this end, we developed Lnc2Catlas to compile quantitative associations between lncRNAs and cancers using three computational methods, assessing secondary structure disruption, lncRNA-protein interactions, and co-expression networks. Lnc2Catlas was constructed based on 27,670 well-annotated lncRNAs, 31,749,216 SNPs, 1,473 cancer-associated proteins, and 10,539 expression profiles of 33 cancers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Lnc2Catlas contains 247,124 lncRNA-SNP pairs, over two millions lncRNA-protein interactions, and 6,902 co-expression clusters. We deposited Lnc2Catlas on Alibaba Cloud and developed interactive, mobile device-compatible, user-friendly interfaces to help users search and browse Lnc2Catlas with ultra-low latency. Lnc2Catlas can aid in the investigation of associations between lncRNAs and cancers and can provide candidate lncRNAs for further experimental validation. Lnc2Catlas will facilitate an understanding of the associations between lncRNAs and cancer and will help reveal the critical role of lncRNAs in cancer.

C-reactive protein is a predictor of prognosis in renal cell carcinoma patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been investigated in previous studies; however, the results remain inconclusive. This study investigated the prognostic value of pretreatment CRP in patients with metastatic RCC treated with TKIs.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies investigating the relationships between pretreatment CRP and prognosis in patients with metastatic RCC. Hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were extracted from eligible studies. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² value. The fixed-effects model was used if there was no evidence of heterogeneity; otherwise, the random-effects model was used. Publication bias was evaluated using Begg's funnel plots and Egger's regression test.

RESULTS

A total of 1199 patients from nine studies were included in the analysis. The results showed that an elevated CRP level was an effective prognostic marker of both OS (pooled HR=2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.34-3.54, p<0.001) and PFS (pooled HR=2.39, 95% CI: 1.75-3.26, p<0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that an elevated CRP level significantly predicted poor OS and PFS in studies conducted in Japan (OS, pooled HR=3.03, 95% CI: 2.29-4.01, p<0.001; PFS, pooled HR=3.6, 95% CI: 1.62-8.0, p=0.002), and in cut-off value of CRP <0.8 (OS, pooled HR=2.93, 95% CI: 2.21-3.88, p<0.001; PFS, pooled HR=2.57, 95% CI: 1.82-3.65, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that an elevated CRP level is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with metastatic RCC receiving TKIs treatment.