Depression of cellular immunity after multiple trauma in the absence of sepsis

Unraveling the clinical significance and prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index, systemic inflammation response index, and delta neutrophil index: An extensive literature review

In the field of critical care medicine, substantial research efforts have focused on identifying high-risk patient groups. This research has led to the development of diverse diagnostic tools, ranging from basic biomarkers to complex indexes and predictive algorithms that integrate multiple methods. Given the ever-evolving landscape of medicine, driven by rapid advancements, changing treatment strategies, and emerging diseases, the development and validation of diagnostic tools remains an ongoing and dynamic process. Specific changes in complete blood count components, such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and platelets, are key immune system responses influenced by various factors and crucial in systemic inflammation, injury, and stress. It has been reported that indices such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and delta neutrophil index calculated using various ratios of these elements, are important predictors of various outcomes in conditions where the inflammatory process is at the forefront. In this narrative review, we concluded that NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI show promise in predicting outcomes for different health conditions related to inflammation. While these tests are accessible, reliable, and cost-effective, their standalone predictive performance for a specific condition is limited.

Initial neutrophil and lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of mortality and ICU admission after major trauma

Introduction

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been proposed as a marker of systemic inflammation in major trauma patients that is associated with in-hospital mortality. We aimed to determine the discriminative ability of initial NLR as a predictor of outcomes following major trauma.

Methods

This was a registry-based cohort study involving all major trauma patients meeting criteria for inclusion into the Alfred Health Trauma Registry who presented directly from the scene of injury over a 24-month period (January 2018 to December 2019). The initial NLR was calculated for each patient and was compared against the Shock Index (SI), lactate and Revised Trauma Score (RTS). Outcomes observed were mortality at hospital discharge and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We assessed the predictive capacity of each test using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and performed area under the ROC curve (AUROC) analysis to compare their performance.

Results

Data were extracted for 1687 major trauma patients, of which 72% were male, the median age was 49 years (IQR 31–68) and most (90%) of patients presented after a blunt mechanism of injury. In-hospital mortality occurred in 165 (9.77%) patients, and 725 (42.92%) patients required ICU admission. The median NLR was 6.84 (IQR 3.89–11.52). Initial NLR performed poorly with an AUROC of 0.46 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40–0.52) for prediction of mortality and AUROC of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.50–0.56) for prediction of ICU admission. The AUROCs of initial NLR for both mortality at hospital discharge and ICU admission were significantly lower than SI, lactate and RTS.

Conclusion

Initial NLR was not predictive of outcomes in major trauma. NLR at other time-points may provide better predictive capacity for outcomes.

Hematological and serum biochemistry parameters as a prognostic indicator of severally ill versus mild Covid-19 patients: A study from tertiary hospital in North India

Background/objectives

In, India coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases are on the rise in terms of the total number of cases. Findings on clinical and hematological parameters alone carry no significance apart from telling patients present status and hence are diminutive. This study aims to assess the hematological and serum biochemistry parameters and correlate them with the presenting symptoms and severity of disease which can help predict the need for intensive care unit (ICU) care, help in triage, assess the severity of the disease which will help clinicians decide their future course of action and further improve patients clinical outcome.

Methods

A total of 200 COVID-19 positive patients were included. Hematological and serum biochemistry parameters were recorded for the patients at the time of admission and categorized as mild, moderate, and severely ill based on clinical status and then admitted into various wards.

Results

Total leucocyte count (TLC) was significantly different and higher in severely ill patients (13,200 ± 6,999.2) compared to cases presented with mild and moderate symptoms (12,100 ± 6,488.41& 8,788.20 ± 4,954.32, p = 0.001). The mean difference of TLC, Neutrophil% (N%), Lymphocyte% (L%) and Monocyte (M%) was significantly different between mild and moderate symptoms cases (p = 0.030, p = 0.002, p = 0.004 & p = 0.003). Between groups comparison of moderate vs. severely ill cases showed a significant difference in TLC (p = 0.000), N% (p = 0.000), L% (0.000), and L/N ratio (p = 0.002). The serum ionic calcium (Ca), random blood sugar (RBS), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, prothrombin (PT), International Normalized Ratio (INR), ferritin, and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) level also differed significantly between mild, moderate and severely ill cases (p = 0.001, p=<0.001, p = 0.002, p=<00.1, p = 0006, p = 0.005, p=<0.001 and p=<0.001) respectively. Comparison of the mild vs. severely ill cases showed a significant difference in urea, fibrinogen, and procalcitonin (PCT) level (p = 0.005, p = 0.000 & p = 0.048) respectively.

Conclusion

The preliminary findings of this study suggest hematological and serum biochemistry parameters could be used as a screening tool to identify patients requiring intensive care and thus allowing clinical stratification and triage at the time of presentation.

Association between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio change during living donor liver transplantation and graft survival

Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), has shown a predictive value in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). However, the change in the NLR during LDLT has not been fully investigated. We aimed to compare graft survival between the NLR increase and decrease during LDLT. From June 1997 to April 2019, we identified 1292 adult LDLT recipients with intraoperative NLR change. The recipients were divided according to NLR change: 103 (8.0%) in the decrease group and 1189 (92.0%) in the increase group. The primary outcome was graft failure in the first year. In addition, variables associated with NLR change during LDLT were evaluated. During 1-year follow-up, graft failure was significantly higher in the decrease group (22.3% vs. 9.1%; hazard ratio 1.87; 95% confidence interval 1.10-3.18; p = 0.02), but postoperative complications did not differ between two groups. This finding was consistent for the overall follow-up. Variables associated with NLR decrease included preoperative NLR > 4, model for end-stage liver disease score, intraoperative inotropic infusion and red blood cell transfusion, and operative duration. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model yielded similar results. NLR decrease during LDLT appeared to be independently associated with graft survival. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Vitamin D, zinc and glutamine: Synergistic action with OncoTherad immunomodulator in interferon signaling and COVID‑19 (Review)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since then, it has continued to spread rapidly in numerous countries, while the search for effective therapeutic options persists. Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, are known to suppress and evade the antiviral responses of the host organism mediated by interferon (IFN), a family of cytokines that plays an important role in antiviral defenses associated with innate immunity, and has been used therapeutically for chronic viral diseases and cancer. On the other hand, OncoTherad, a safe and effective immunotherapeutic agent in the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), increases IFN signaling and has been shown to be a promising therapeutic approach for COVID-19 in a case report that described the rapid recovery of a 78-year-old patient with NMIBC with comorbidities. The present review discusses the possible synergistic action of OncoTherad with vitamin D, zinc and glutamine, nutrients that have been shown to facilitate immune responses mediated by IFN signaling, as well as the potential of this combination as a therapeutic option for COVID-19.

Are the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) novel inflammatory biomarkers in the early diagnosis of postoperative complications after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy?

PURPOSE

C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are new generation inflammatory markers that have been investigated for use in determining disease prognosis or postoperative morbidity and mortality after many open surgeries. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of CAR, NLR, and PLR on the early detection of postoperative complications (POC) after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

MATERIAL-METHOD

The study included 448 patients, 16-65 years of age, who underwent LSG between 2015 and 2019. C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels were measured on postoperative day 1 and 3 and CAR values were obtained. NLR and PLR values were evaluated preoperatively and on postoperative day 1 and 3. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS version 21.0 and MedCalc.

RESULTS

A total of 326 patients with a mean age of 37 ± 11 years were analyzed. Both CAR1 and CAR3 values were correlated with the development of complications (r = 0.3, r = 0.3, respectively p < 0.001). Pre-op NLR value was found to be a significant risk factor on complication development (OR = 1.943, p = 0.043). The cut-off value for CAR1 and CAR3 were found as 0.78 and 1.25 mg/dL in ROC analysis (AUC = 0.808, AUC = 0.832, respectively). PLR3 value was diagnostic among other PLR values in the determination of POC (AUC = 0.703 Youden index = 0.36 p = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

The most significant diagnostic value for the determination of POC was CAR3. It was followed by CAR1, CRP3, CRP1, and PLR3 values. Only preoperative NLR was found as a risk factor for the development of POC.

Prognostic Significance Of The Inflammatory Index-Based Scoring System In Patients Preliminarily Diagnosed With Multiple Myeloma In The Bortezomib-Based Chemotherapy Era

Purpose

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet count (PLT) have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of malignancies; this study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the inflammatory prognostic scoring index (IPSI), comprised of RDW, N LR, and PLT for overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients in the bortezomib-based chemotherapy era.

Patients and methods

The prognostic significance of variables associated with the OS of 175 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients was evaluated through univariate and multivariate analyses. The cut-off values of RDW, NLR, and PLT were obtained from references. Patients with high RDW (RDW>14) were given a score of 1; patients with high NLR (NLR>2) or low PLT (PLT≤150) were given a score of 2. According to the obtained scores, the inflammatory prognostic scoring index (IPSI) was formed, in which patients were grouped into high-risk group (4–5 points), intermediate-risk group (3 points) and low-risk group (0–2 points).

Results

OS varied significantly in different IPSI groups (P< 0.001). On multivariate analysis, the IPSI was an independent prognostic factor for OS (intermediate-risk group HR 2.89, 95% CI 1.60–5.22, high risk-group HR 14.50, 95% CI 7.26–28.93, P<0.001). Importantly, with IPSI as supplement to the International Staging System (ISS), a significant difference in OS was observed among IPSI subgroups (ISS I, P<0.001; ISS II, P=0.008; ISS III, P<0.001).

Conclusion

The IPSI, comprised of RDW, NLR, and PLT, played specific role in the prognosis of patients preliminarily diagnosed with multiple myeloma in the bortezomib-based chemotherapy era and could be a beneficial supplement for ISS staging.

The value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio in the diagnosis of sepsis in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A retrospective cohort study

Background

Early diagnosis and treatment has proven to be of utmost importance in the outcome of sepsis patients. We compared the accuracy of the neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio (NLCR) to conventional inflammatory markers in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study consisting of 276 ICU patients with sepsis and 388 ICU patients without sepsis. We compared the NLCR as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) level, procalcitonin (PCT) level, white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count and lymphocyte count on ICU admission between sepsis and non-sepsis ICU patients. To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity, we constructed receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves.

Results

Significant differences in NLCR values were observed between sepsis and non-sepsis patients (15.3 [10.8–38.2] (median [interquartile range] vs. 9.3 [6.2–14.5]; P<0.001), as well as for CRP level, PCT level and lymphocyte count. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of the NLCR was 0.66 (95%CI = 0.62–0.71). AUROC was significantly higher for CRP and PCT level with AUROC’s of 0.89 (95%CI 0.87–0.92) and 0.88 (95%CI 0.86–0.91) respectively.

Conclusions

The NLCR is less suitable than conventional inflammatory markers CRP and PCT to detect the presence of sepsis in ICU patients.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01274819.

The relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and postoperative pain in total knee and hip arthroplasty

Background and objectives

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is a simple, cost-effective and easily applicable inflammation indicator that is being used frequently in mortality, morbidity and prognosis studies in the recent years. We evaluated the relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and postoperative pain in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty.

Material and methods

We included 101 patients who preferred spinal anesthesia and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in accordance and divided them into two groups, total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. We recorded demographic information, duration of operation, length of hospital stay, analgesics consumption, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio results and postoperative pain using Visual Analog Scale.

Results

The morphine consumption of the patients was as follows in group total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty: at the 4th hour: 7.38 mg, 7.80 mg; 8th hour: 12.19 mg, 13.29 mg; 12th hour: 16.94 mg, 19.18 mg; 24th hour: 25.97 mg, 27.98 mg; 48th hour: 36.38 mg, 39.59 mg. The Visual Analog Scale scores of the patients was as follows in group total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty: at the 4th hour: 4.10, 4.51; 8th hour: 3.02, 3.43; 12th hour: 2.29, 2.55; 24th hour: 1.90, 1.87; 48th hour: 1.08, 1.13. In group total hip arthroplasty, we found a statistically significant association between postoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and the Visual Analog Scale values on the 48th hour in a positive direction (r = 0.311; P = 0.031; P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio can be accepted as a relatively objective method for the diagnosis of postoperative pain.

[The relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and postoperative pain in total knee and hip arthroplasty]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is a simple, cost-effective and easily applicable inflammation indicator that is being used frequently in mortality, morbidity and prognosis studies in the recent years. We evaluated the relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and postoperative pain in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We included 101 patients who preferred spinal anesthesia and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in accordance and divided them into two groups, total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. We recorded demographic information, duration of operation, length of hospital stay, analgesics consumption, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio results and postoperative pain using Visual Analog Scale.

RESULTS

The morphine consumption of the patients was as follows in group total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty: at the 4th hour: 7.38mg, 7.80mg; 8th hour: 12.19mg, 13.29mg; 12th hour: 16.94mg, 19.18mg; 24th hour: 25.97mg, 27.98mg; 48th hour: 36.38mg, 39.59mg. The Visual Analog Scale scores of the patients was as follows in group total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty: at the 4th hour: 4.10, 4.51; 8th hour: 3.02, 3.43; 12th hour: 2.29, 2.55; 24th hour: 1.90, 1.87; 48th hour: 1.08, 1.13. In group total hip arthroplasty, we found a statistically significant association between postoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and the Visual Analog Scale values on the 48th hour in a positive direction (r=0.311; P=0.031; P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio can be accepted as a relatively objective method for the diagnosis of postoperative pain.

Single emergency room measurement of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio for early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is considered a readily available biomarker of systemic inflammation. An association between elevated NLR and adverse outcomes in a variety of medical and surgical conditions including CKD has been demonstrated in several studies. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of single Emergency Department (ED) measurement of NLR for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). We prospectively studied 294 patients aged 71.6 ± 17. We measured NLR at presentation to the ED. AKI is defined as a new-onset 1.5-fold or more increase in serum creatinine or a 25% decrease in estimated GFR sustained for at least 3 days despite volume resuscitation. The primary outcome is AKI. Secondary outcome is in-hospital mortality. A multivariate model and ROC analysis were performed to evaluate the association and eventual predictive capacity of NLR for the outcomes. 36 patients (12.2%) developed AKI and 26 (9%) died, 8 (22%) of the AKI group and 17 patients (7%) of the non-AKI group. The Mean NLR is significantly higher in AKI compare to non-AKI patients (11.7 ± 15.2 vs 6.45 ± 7.19, p = 0.048). A multivariate model adjusted for age, gender, blood pressure, plasma albumin and hemoglobin levels confirms that the NLR is higher in AKI patients (p = 0.031). Receiver operating characteristics curve reveals an AUC of 0.715 (95% CI 0.63-0.8) sensitivity 0.78, specificity 0.65, and OR 6.423 (CI 2.659-16.026) for a cutoff value of NLR 5.5. The relation between NLR and in-hospital mortality is not statistically significant (p = 0.92). Single ED measurement of NLR might be a useful tool for early diagnosis of AKI. This finding is particularly important in light of the low cost and widespread availability of NLR, especially compared with other biomarkers currently under study in the context of AKI.

A New Inflammatory Prognostic Index, Based on C-reactive Protein, the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Serum Albumin is Useful for Predicting Prognosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cases

Purpose: We aimed to establish an inflammatory prognostic index (IPI) in early and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients based on hematologic and biochemical parameters and to analyze its predictive value for NSCLC survival. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 685 patients with early and advanced NSCLC diagnosed between 2009 and 2014 was conducted with collection of clinical, and laboratory data. The IPI was calculated as C-reactive protein × NLR (neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio)/serum albumin. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the prognostic value of relevant factors. Results: The optimal cut-off value of IPI for overall survival (OS) stratification was determined to be 15. Totals of 334 (48.8%) and 351 (51.2%) patients were assigned to high and low IPI groups, respectively. Compared with low IPI, high IPI was associated with older age, greater tumor size, high lymph node involvement, distant metastases, advanced stage and poor performance status. Median OS was worse in the high IPI group (low vs high, 8.0 vs 34.0 months; HR, 3.5; p<0.001). Progression free survival values of the patients who had high vs low IPI were determined 6 months (95% CI:5.3-6.6) and 14 months (95% CI:12.1-15.8), respectively (HR; 2.4, P<0.001). On multivariate analysis, stage, performance status, lactate dehydrogenase and IPI were independent prognostic factors for OS. Subgroup analysis showed IPI was generally a significant prognostic factor in all clinical variables. Conclusion: The described IPI may be an inexpensive, easily accessible and independent prognostic index for NSCLC patients, useful for clinical practice.

Pretreatment Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio Independently Predicts Disease-specific Survival in Resectable Gastroesophageal Junction and Gastric Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Preoperative methods to estimate disease-specific survival (DSS) for resectable gastroesophageal (GE) junction and gastric adenocarcinoma are limited. We evaluated the relationship between DSS and pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

BACKGROUND

The patient's inflammatory state is thought to be associated with oncologic outcomes, and NLR has been used as a simple and convenient marker for the systemic inflammatory response. Previous studies have suggested that NLR is associated with cancer-specific outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained institutional database was undertaken to identify patients who underwent potentially curative resection for GE junction and gastric adenocarcinoma from 1998 to 2013. Clinicopathologic findings, pretreatment leukocyte values, and follow-up status were recorded. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate DSS, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between variables and DSS.

RESULTS

We identified 1498 patients who fulfilled our eligibility criteria. Univariate analysis showed that male sex, Caucasian race, increased T and N stage, GE junction location, moderate/poor differentiation, nonintestinal Lauren histology, and vascular and perineural invasion were associated with worse DSS. Elevated NLR was also associated with worse DSS [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.08-1.14; P < 0.01]. On multivariate analysis, pretreatment NLR as a continuous variable was a highly significant independent predictor of DSS. For every unit increase in NLR, the risk of cancer-associated death increases by approximately 10% (HR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05-1.13; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with resectable GE junction and gastric adenocarcinoma, pretreatment NLR independently predicts DSS. This and other clinical variables can be used in conjunction with cross-sectional imaging and endoscopic ultrasound as part of the preoperative risk stratification process.

Association of intra-tumoral tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Studies suggest that tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and inflammation markers have independent roles in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the relationship between the two pronostic factors remains unclear. In this study, we investigated TILs and inflammation markers in with patients advanced stage NSCLC and assessed the association of their levels with prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

TILs were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) and cluster of differentiation 5 (CD5) and by hematoxylin and eosin staining for non-specific lymphocyte. We investigated the localisation pattern of TILs in advanced stage NSCLC. We divided all cases into two groups: TILs-high and TILs-low groups, by 75th percentile of the population of. In our study, inflammation markers were assessed by C-reactive protein (CRP) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

RESULTS

The results showed that the presence of intra-tumoral high CD3⁺ and low CD5⁺ were an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (respectively, P = 0.022 and P = 0.025). Moreover, the high NLR and serum high CRP levels were associated with poor survival (respectively, P = 0.008; P = 0.027). In multi-variate survival analysis, the high CD3⁺ , low CD5⁺ , high NLR, tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage, depth of tumour invasion and lymph node metastasis remained independent prognostic factors (respectively, P = 0.018, P = 0.020, P = 0.024, P = 0.038, P = 0.020 and P = 0.047).The high NLR was detected negative correlation with intra-tumoral CD3⁺ and positive correlation with intra-tumoral CD5⁺ (respectively, r = -0.623, P = 0.012; r = 0.628, P = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

This study is first report demonstrating the prognostic value of intra-tumoral low CD5⁺ with NSCLC. Increased CD3⁺ and low CD5⁺ was observed in patients with poor prognosis; the two molecules were correlated with NLR, suggesting that inflammation might be used as improve therapeutic efficacy to immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC.

Systemic neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in colorectal cancer: the relationship to patient survival, tumour biology and local lymphocytic response to tumour

Background:

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. The impact of inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein etc.) on CRC is increasingly studied including systemic neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as they seem to predict outcome.

Methods:

All patients who underwent curative resection for CRC from 2000 to 2004 at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust had pre-operative NLR calculated. Demographic, histopathological and survival data were collected. Tissue microarrays were created and stained to determine the mismatch repair (MMR) protein status of each tumour. Local lymphocytic response to the tumour was assessed and graded.

Results:

About 358 patients were eligible. Of these 88 had an NLR ⩾5, which predicted lower overall survival and greater disease recurrence. A high NLR is associated with higher pT- and pN-stage and a greater incidence of extramural venous invasion. MMR protein status was not associated with NLR. A pronounced lymphocytic reaction at the invasive margin (IM) indicated a better prognosis and was associated with a lower NLR.

Conclusion:

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts disease-free and overall survival and is associated with a more aggressive tumour phenotype. The lymphocytic response to tumour at the IM is associated with NLR however dMMR is not. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a cheap, easy-to-access test that predicts outcome in CRC.

The association between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mortality in critical illness: an observational cohort study

Introduction

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biological marker that has been shown to be associated with outcomes in patients with a number of different malignancies. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between NLR and mortality in a population of adult critically ill patients.

Methods

We performed an observational cohort study of unselected intensive care unit (ICU) patients based on records in a large clinical database. We computed individual patient NLR and categorized patients by quartile of this ratio. The association of NLR quartiles and 28-day mortality was assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Secondary outcomes included mortality in the ICU, in-hospital mortality and 1-year mortality. An a priori subgroup analysis of patients with versus without sepsis was performed to assess any differences in the relationship between the NLR and outcomes in these cohorts.

Results

A total of 5,056 patients were included. Their 28-day mortality rate was 19%. The median age of the cohort was 65 years, and 47% were female. The median NLR for the entire cohort was 8.9 (interquartile range, 4.99 to 16.21). Following multivariable adjustments, there was a stepwise increase in mortality with increasing quartiles of NLR (first quartile: reference category; second quartile odds ratio (OR) = 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03 to 1.71; third quartile OR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.83; 4th quartile OR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.35 to 2.16). A similar stepwise relationship was identified in the subgroup of patients who presented without sepsis. The NLR was not associated with 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. Increasing quartile of NLR was statistically significantly associated with secondary outcome.

Conclusion

The NLR is associated with outcomes in unselected critically ill patients. In patients with sepsis, there was no statistically significant relationship between NLR and mortality. Further investigation is required to increase understanding of the pathophysiology of this relationship and to validate these findings with data collected prospectively.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-014-0731-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Predictors of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections Among Critically Ill Adult Trauma Patients

Objective:

To identify the independent predictors of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) among critically ill adult trauma patients.

Design:

A prospective, cohort design was used to study patients who met predetermined inclusion criteria. Basic descriptive and univariate statistical analyses were performed to identify unadjusted predictors. A forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was then conducted to identify independent predictors of nosocomial BSI.

Setting:

Level I university-affiliated shock trauma center.

Patients:

Three hundred sixty-one critically ill adult trauma patients, 55 of whom developed nosocomial BSIs (15.2%).

Results:

Data analysis of 45 variables indicated that only 9 were independent predictors of nosocomial BSI: presence of a chest tube, use of immunosuppressive agents, presence of microbial resistance, length of stay, presence of preexisting infection, percentage change of serum albumin levels, patient disposition, transfusion of 10 or more units of blood, and number of central venous catheters (CVCs) for patients who had 4 or more. The classification index of the final regression model at a cut-off point of 0.5 had a specificity of 97.4%, a sensitivity of 60%, a positive predictive value of 76.7%, a negative predictive value of 93%, and an overall precision of 91%.

Conclusion:

In this study, only 9 variables were independent predictors of nosocomial BSI. Our findings are specific to critically ill adult trauma patients and should be interpreted within the context of this particular population.

Predictors of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections Among Critically Ill Adult Trauma Patients

Objective:

To identify the independent predictors of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) among critically ill adult trauma patients.

Design:

A prospective, cohort design was used to study patients who met predetermined inclusion criteria. Basic descriptive and univariate statistical analyses were performed to identify unadjusted predictors. A forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was then conducted to identify independent predictors of nosocomial BSI.

Setting:

Level I university-affiliated shock trauma center.

Patients:

Three hundred sixty-one critically ill adult trauma patients, 55 of whom developed nosocomial BSIs (15.2%).

Results:

Data analysis of 45 variables indicated that only 9 were independent predictors of nosocomial BSI: presence of a chest tube, use of immunosuppressive agents, presence of microbial resistance, length of stay, presence of preexisting infection, percentage change of serum albumin levels, patient disposition, transfusion of 10 or more units of blood, and number of central venous catheters (CVCs) for patients who had 4 or more. The classification index of the final regression model at a cut-off point of 0.5 had a specificity of 97.4%, a sensitivity of 60%, a positive predictive value of 76.7%, a negative predictive value of 93%, and an overall precision of 91%.

Conclusion:

In this study, only 9 variables were independent predictors of nosocomial BSI. Our findings are specific to critically ill adult trauma patients and should be interpreted within the context of this particular population.

Inflammatory response to trauma: implications for coagulation and resuscitation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Recent studies have changed our understanding of the timing and interactions of the inflammatory processes and coagulation cascade following severe trauma. This review highlights this information and correlates its impact on the current clinical approach for fluid resuscitation and treatment of coagulopathy for trauma patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Severe trauma is associated with a failure of multiple biologic emergency response systems that includes imbalanced inflammatory response, acute coagulopathy of trauma, and endovascular glycocalyx degradation with microcirculatory compromise. These abnormalities are all interlinked and related. Recent observations show that after severe trauma: proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses are concomitant, not sequential and resolution of the inflammatory response is an active process, not a passive one. Understanding these interrelated processes is considered extremely important for the development of future therapies for severe trauma in humans.

SUMMARY

Traumatic injuries continue to be a significant cause of mortality worldwide. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of end-organ failure, and modulation of the inflammatory response has important clinical implications regarding fluid resuscitation and treatment of coagulopathy.

Prognostic value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios, and multiphasic renal tomography findings in histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma

Background

To determine the relationship between renal cell carcinoma subtypes and the associated mortality and biochemical parameters. An additional aim was to analyze multiphasic multidetector computed tomography findings.

Methods

This study is a hospital-based retrospective investigation, using 211 patients with a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma upon computed tomography examination. The histological subtypes included clear cell in 119 patients, chromophobe cell in 30 patients, papillary cell in 25 patients, mixed cell in 32 patients, and sarcomatoid cell in 4 patients.

Results

The mean age of the patients participating in this study was 61.18 ± 11.81 years, and the mortality rate was 10.4% (n = 22) through the 2-year follow-up. The ratios of both the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte upon admission to the hospital and platelet-to-lymphocyte of the non-surviving group were significantly higher than those of the surviving group (p < 0.05). When the analysis of the 2-year survival of the patients was examined according to the median platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio values, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were significantly different between the surviving and non-surviving groups (p = 0.01). In two-way analysis of variance test, statistically significant results which were influenced by mortality (p = 0.028) and were found between renal cell carcinoma subtypes in the computed tomography density of corticomedullary phase (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio may represent widely available biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma, and the logistic regression model indicated that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was a significant predictor for mortality. According to the median platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio values, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were significantly different between the surviving and non-surviving groups.

Value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in the differential diagnosis of sarcoidosis and tuberculosis

INTRODUCTION:

The differential diagnosis of sarcoidosis creates a challange due to tuberculosis also having lung and lymph node involvement. Because both diseases show granulomatous inflammation, it may not be possible to distinguish tuberculosis and sarcoidosis in pathological specimens. As a result of the complexity in the differential diagnosis of sarcoidosis and tuberculosis, new markers for differentiation are being investigated.

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of our study is to investigate the value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a possible marker in differentiating sarcoidosis and tuberculosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In our study, 51 acid-fast bacilli (AFB) positive and/or culture-positive patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, ​​40 patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis and a control group consisting of 43 patients were included. In our study, information was collected retrospectively based on hospital records.

RESULTS:

Leukocyte and neutrophil counts, NLR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly higher, and albumin was significantly lower in the tuberculosis group compared with sarcoidosis (for all parameters P < 0.001). The most appropriate cut-off value of NLR to distinguish tuberculosis from sarcoidosis was determined as 2.55. For this cut-off value of NLR there was 79% sensitivity, 69% specificity, 73% positive predictive value (PPV), 75% negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) was 0.788. For differentiation of sarcoidosis from tuberculosis, accuracy of the NLR test according to this cut-off value was found as 76%.

CONCLUSION:

NLR as a little known marker in respiratory medicine was found to be supportive in differentiation of tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. More studies on this issue is needed.

Immunomodulation in transfused trauma patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Traumatic injury is a major human health problem, with many injured people supported by transfusion of allogeneic blood. Although trauma and transfusion have both been known to have immunomodulatory effects for some time, little is known about their combined effects or the scope and kinetics of such responses.

RECENT FINDINGS

Traumatic injury has a profound immunomodulatory effect on the patient, affecting a broad array of immunological components. This can be further complicated by transfusion, though the contribution of transfusion relative to the massive response triggered by trauma is small. The response to trauma involves a strong immunosuppressive component, which, contrary to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome/compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome model, occurs at the earliest time points examined and overlaps with proinflammatory and antimicrobial elements. This response is remarkably similar in a wide range of patients with different types and severities of injury.

SUMMARY

The response to trauma and transfusion involves a massive and rapid reorganization of the immune system that can put the patient at increased risk of infection, tissue damage, and organ failure. The scope of the response presents challenges to the development of treatments to control this dysregulation.

The clinical role of glutamine supplementation in patients with multiple trauma: a narrative review

Glutamine is considered an essential amino acid during stress and critical illness. Parenteral glutamine supplementation in critically ill patients has been shown to improve survival rate and minimise infectious complications, costs and hospital length-of-stay. However, glutamine supplementation in patients receiving enteral nutrition and the best method of administration are still controversial. The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review of the current evidence and trials of enteral and parenteral glutamine supplementation in multiple trauma patients. A search in PubMed and EMBASE was conducted and relevant papers that investigated the effect of enteral or parenteral glutamine supplementation in patients with multiple trauma were reviewed. Although recent nutritional guidelines recommend that glutamine supplementation should be considered in these patients, further well-designed trials are required to provide a confirmed conclusion. Due to the inconclusive results of enteral glutamine supplementation trials in patients receiving enteral nutrition, future trials should focus on intravenous glutamine supplementation in patients requiring enteral nutrition and on major clinical outcome measures (e.g. mortality rate, infectious complications).

Transfusion-associated microchimerism: the hybrid within

Microchimerism, the coexistence of genetically disparate populations of cells in a receptive host, is well described in both clinical and physiological settings, including transplantation and pregnancy. Microchimerism can also occur after allogeneic blood transfusion in traumatically injured patients, where donor cells have been observed decades after transfusion. To date, transfusion-associated microchimerism (TA-MC) appears confined to this clinical subset, most likely due to the immune perturbations that occur after severe trauma that allow foreign donor cells to survive. Transfusion-associated microchimerism appears to be unaffected by leukoreduction and has been documented after transfusion with an array of blood products. The only significant predictor of TA-MC to date is the age of red cells, with fresher units associated with higher risk. Thus far, no adverse clinical effect has been observed in limited studies of TA-MC. There are, however, hypothesized links to transfusion-associated graft vs host disease that may be unrecognized and consequently underreported. Microchimerism in other settings has gained increasing attention owing to a plausible link to autoimmune diseases, as well as its diagnostic and therapeutic potential vis-a-vis antenatal testing and adoptive immunotherapy, respectively. Furthermore, microchimerism provides a tool to further our understanding of immune tolerance and regulation.

Trauma equals danger--damage control by the immune system

Traumatic injuries induce a complex host response that disrupts immune system homeostasis and predisposes patients to opportunistic infections and inflammatory complications. The response to injuries varies considerably by type and severity, as well as by individual variables, such as age, sex, and genetics. These variables make studying the impact of trauma on the immune system challenging. Nevertheless, advances have been made in understanding how injuries influence immune system function as well as the immune cells and pathways involved in regulating the response to injuries. This review provides an overview of current knowledge about how traumatic injuries affect immune system phenotype and function. We discuss the current ideas that traumatic injuries induce a unique type of a response that may be triggered by a combination of endogenous danger signals, including alarmins, DAMPs, self-antigens, and cytokines. Additionally, we review and propose strategies for redirecting injury responses to help restore immune system homeostasis.

Distinct roles of trauma and transfusion in induction of immune modulation after injury

BACKGROUND

Trauma and transfusion can both alter immunity, and while transfusions are common among traumatically injured patients, few studies have examined their combined effects on immunity.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We tracked the plasma levels of 41 immunomodulatory proteins in 56 trauma patients from time of injury up to 1 year later. In addition, a murine model was developed to distinguish between the effects of transfusion and underlying injury and blood loss.

RESULTS

Thirty-one of the proteins had a significant change over time after traumatic injury, with a mixed early response that was predominantly anti-inflammatory followed by a later increase in proteins involved in wound healing and homeostasis. Results from the murine model revealed similar cytokine responses to humans. In mice, trauma and hemorrhage caused early perturbations in a number of the pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators measured, and transfusion blunted early elevations in interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and interferon-γ. Transfusion caused or exacerbated changes in monocyte chemotactic protein-1, IL-1α, IL-5, IL-15, and soluble E-selectin. Finally, trauma and hemorrhage alone increased CXCL1 and IL-13.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides a detailed characterization of the major shift in the immunologic environment in response to trauma and transfusion and clarifies which immune mediators are affected by trauma and hemorrhage and which by transfusion.

Effect of intravenous GLutamine supplementation IN Trauma patients receiving enteral nutrition study protocol (GLINT Study): a prospective, blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background Trauma patients are characterised by alterations in the immune system, increased exposure to infectious complications, sepsis and potentially organ failure and death. Glutamine supplementation to parenteral nutrition has been proven to be associated with improved clinical outcomes. However, glutamine supplementation in patients receiving enteral nutrition and its best route are still controversial. Previous trials have been limited by a small sample size, use of surrogate outcomes or a limited period of supplementation. The aim of this trial is to investigate if intravenous glutamine supplementation to trauma patients receiving enteral nutrition is associated with improved clinical outcomes in terms of decreased organ dysfunction, infectious complications and other secondary outcomes. Methods/design Eighty-eight critically ill patients with multiple trauma receiving enteral nutrition will be recruited in this prospective, triple-blind, block-randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial to receive either 0.5 g/kg/day intravenous undiluted alanyl-glutamine or intravenous placebo by continuous infusion (24 h/day). Both groups will be receiving the same standard enteral nutrition protocol and the same standard intensive care unit care. Supplementation will continue until discharge from the intensive care unit, death or a maximum duration of 3 weeks. The primary outcome will be organ-dysfunction evaluation assessed by the pattern of change in sequential organ failure assessment score over a 10-day period. The secondary outcomes are: the changes in total sequential organ failure assessment score on the last day of treatment, infectious complications during the ICU stay, 60-day mortality, length of stay in the intensive care unit and body-composition analysis. Discussion This study is the first trial to investigate the effect of intravenous alanyl-glutamine supplementation in multiple trauma patients receiving enteral nutrition on reducing severity of organ failure and infectious complications and preservation of lean body mass. Trial registration number This trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01240291.

Lack of recovery in monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR expression is independently associated with the development of sepsis after major trauma

Introduction

Major trauma is characterized by an overwhelming pro-inflammatory response and an accompanying anti-inflammatory response that lead to a state of immunosuppression, as observed after septic shock. Diminished monocyte Human Leukocyte Antigen DR (mHLA-DR) is a reliable marker of monocyte dysfunction and immunosuppression. The main objective of this study was to determine the relation between mHLA-DR expression in severe trauma patients and the development of sepsis.

Methods

We conducted a prospective observational study over 23 months in a trauma intensive care unit at a university hospital. Patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) over 25 and age over 18 were included. mHLA-DR was assessed by flow cytometry protocol according to standardized protocol. Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous non-parametric variables, independent paired t test for continuous parametric variables and chi-square test for categorical data were used.

Results

mHLA-DR was measured three times a week during the first 14 days. One hundred five consecutive severely injured patients were monitored (ISS 38 ± 17, SAPS II 37 ± 16). Thirty-seven patients (35%) developed sepsis over the 14 days post-trauma. At days 1-2, mHLA-DR was diminished in the whole patient population, with no difference with the development of sepsis. At days 3-4, a highly significant difference appeared between septic and non-septic patients. Non- septic patients showed an increase in mHLA-DR levels, whereas septic patients did not (13,723 ± 7,766 versus 9,271 ± 6,029 antibodies per cell, p = .004). Most importantly, multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for usual clinical confounders (adjusted OR 5.41, 95% CI 1.42-20.52), revealed that a slope of mHLA-DR expression between days1-2 and days 3-4 below 1.2 remained associated with the development of sepsis.

Conclusions

Major trauma induced an immunosuppression, characterized by a decrease in mHLA-DR expression. Importantly, after multivariate regression logistic analysis, persistent decreased expression was assessed to be in relation with the development of sepsis. This is the first study in trauma patients showing a link between the lack of immune recovery and the development of sepsis on the basis of the standardized protocol. Monitoring immune function by mHLA-DR measurement could be useful to identify trauma patients at a high risk of infection.

Immunosuppression following surgical and traumatic injury

Severe sepsis and organ failure are still the major causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality after major hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery. Despite recent progress in understanding the immune conditions of abdominal sepsis, the postoperative incidence of septic complications after major visceral surgery remains high. This review focuses on the clinical and immunological parameters that determine the risk of the development and lethal outcome of postoperative septic complication following major surgery and trauma. A review of the literature indicates that surgical and traumatic injury profoundly affects the innate and adaptive immune responses, and that a marked suppression in cell-mediated immunity following an excessive inflammatory response appears to be responsible for the increased susceptibility to subsequent sepsis. The innate and adaptive immune responses are initiated and modulated by pathogen-associated molecular-pattern molecules and by damage-associated molecular-pattern molecules through the pattern-recognition receptors. Suppression of cell-mediated immunity may be caused by multifaceted cytokine/inhibitor profiles in the circulation and other compartments of the host, excessive activation and dysregulated recruitment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, induction of alternatively activated or regulatory macrophages that have anti-inflammatory properties, a shift in the T-helper (Th)1/Th2 balance toward Th2, appearance of regulatory T cells, which are potent suppressors of the innate and adaptive immune system, and lymphocyte apoptosis in patients with sepsis. Recent basic and clinical studies have elucidated the functional effects of surgical and traumatic injury on the immune system. The research studies of interest may in future aid in the selection of appropriate therapeutic protocols.

Immune suppression and isolated severe head injury: a significant clinical problem

In the developed world, trauma is the principal cause of death under the age of 40 and is the third largest overall killer. In the UK, approximately 25,000 people die each year as a result of major injury, 25% as a result of head injuries alone. Despite improved diagnosis and management, infection remains the commonest complication in those patients surviving the initial injury. Some 5% are reported to die as a result of septic complications. Prolonged periods of intensive care and respiratory support predispose to infective respiratory complications. These patients in the absence of significant systemic injury and, as a result of severe head injury, are unable to mount an effective immune response. This literature review examines the changes that have been reported to occur in the immune system following isolated severe head injury and explores the relationship these changes may have to the increased development of infective complications.

Impact on Patient Outcomes after Closure of an Adjacent Trauma Center

In 2005, a major Level I trauma center closed in Los Angeles County, leading to media speculation that the sudden expansion of our catchment area would adversely affect outcome. We sought to determine whether the closure led to longer transport times and increased trauma morbidity and mortality at our Level I trauma center. Annual patient volume, paramedic transport times, injury severity score (ISS), mechanism of injury, complication rate, and mortality were retrospectively compared between two time periods, Period 1 (1997–2005, before closure) and Period 2 (March 1, 2005 to March 1, 2006, after closure), using multivariable logistic regression models. Median monthly patient volume rose from 123 patients to 190 patients in Period 2 (P < 0.01). Median transport time increased from 12 to 13 minutes (P = 0.004) and median ISS increased from four to five (P < 0.01) in Period 2. The proportion of patients with ISS > 15 increased from 17 to 24 per cent as well (P < 0.01). After accounting injury severity, the adjusted mortality rate decreased in Period 2 (odds ratio 0.69, P = 0.03) and the adjusted complication rate was unchanged (odds ratio 1.16, P = 0.2). In conclusion, the closure of a Level I trauma center resulted in a significant increase in trauma patient volume and injury severity, as well as a slight increase in paramedic transport times. However, the adjusted complication rate was unchanged, and the adjusted mortality rate actually improved.

Enhancement of NF-kappaB activation in lymphocytes prevents T cell apoptosis and improves survival in murine sepsis

Sepsis induces extensive lymphocyte apoptosis that contributes to immunosuppression and mortality. Activation of the canonical NF-kappaB pathway, however, prevents TNF-alpha-induced lymphocyte apoptosis. In this study the function of canonical NF-kappaB in T cells was studied in the context of murine sepsis. Upon cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), NF-kappaB DNA binding activity in thymocytes declines relative to sham-operated mice. This decline in NF-kappaB activity is most likely due to posttranslational modifications such as deacetylation of p65. In parallel, cleavage of procaspase-3 is increased, whereas expression of NF-kappaB-dependent antiapoptotic genes Bcl-xL and c-IAP2 is suppressed upon sepsis induction. Interestingly, adoptive transfer of IkappaBalpha-deficient fetal liver stem cells into sublethally irradiated lymphopenic host mice reduced the decline in thymocyte survival, increased peripheral T cell numbers, and improved the mortality rate relative to wild-type reconstituted hosts after cecal ligation and puncture. In conclusion, lymphocyte-directed augmentation of canonical NF-kappaB ameliorates immunosuppression during murine sepsis. These data provide evidence for a new approach in sepsis therapy.

Monitoring immune dysfunctions in the septic patient: a new skin for the old ceremony

Septic syndromes represent a major although largely underrecognized healthcare problem worldwide, accounting for thousands of deaths every year. It is now agreed that sepsis deeply perturbs immune homeostasis by inducing an initial tremendous systemic inflammatory response which is accompanied by an antiinflammatory process, acting as negative feedback. This compensatory inhibitory response secondly becomes deleterious as nearly all immune functions are compromised. These alterations might be directly responsible for worsening outcome, as they may play a major role in the decreased resistance to nosocomial infections in patients who survived initial resuscitation. Consequently, immunostimulatory therapies may now be assessed for the treatment of sepsis. This review focuses on immune dysfunctions described in septic patients and on their potential use as markers on a routine standardized basis for prediction of adverse outcome or of occurrence of secondary nosocomial infections. This constitutes a prerequisite to a staging system for individualized treatment for these hitherto deadly syndromes.

Enteral glutamine supplementation in critically ill patients with burn injuries: a retrospective case-control evaluation

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical application of enteral glutamine supplementation in critically ill patients and compare the frequency of nosocomial infections in these patients with a historical control group in a burn intensive care unit (BICU), and to assess lengths of stay in the hospital and BICU, mortality rates, and safety profile of glutamine.

DESIGN

Retrospective case-control descriptive study.

SETTING

A university-affiliated hospital BICU.

PATIENTS

Seventeen patients receiving enteral glutamine supplementation and 15 historical control patients who were admitted to the BICU for thermal burn injuries from January 1, 2001-September 30, 2004.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data for patients receiving enteral glutamine supplementation were identified through the pharmacy database, and data for the control patients were identified through the BICU patient registry. No significant differences were noted in baseline characteristics or nutritional parameters and outcomes between the two groups. The mean daily dose and duration of glutamine were 0.52 g/kg and 21.6 days, respectively. The mean number of infections/patient between the glutamine and control groups was similar (2.47 and 2.73, respectively) as was the number of gram-negative infections (1.29 and 1.20, respectively). Bloodstream infections occurred more frequently in the glutamine group (24 vs 8 patients, p=0.0006); however, cellulitis (4 vs 11, p=0.05) and pneumonia (9 vs 15, p=0.15) occurred less often. For the glutamine group versus control group, BICU length of stay (17.9 vs 15.3 days, p=NS), hospital length of stay (32.3 vs 26 days, p=NS), and mortality rates (0% vs 6.7%, p=NS) were similar between groups. No adverse events were attributed to glutamine supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Enteral glutamine supplementation was not associated with a change in the cumulative rate of infectious complications compared with the control group, but this was attributed to more cases of bloodstream infections and fewer cases of pneumonia and cellulitis in the glutamine group. Large, prospective, randomized trials designed to detect small but clinically relevant outcomes are needed to definitively determine the effect of enteral glutamine supplementation in the BICU population.

Transfusion-associated microchimerism: a new complication of blood transfusions in severely injured patients

Microchimerism, the stable persistence of an allogeneic cell population, can result from allogeneic exposures including blood transfusion. Transfusion-associated microchimerism (TA-MC) appears to be a common but newly recognized complication of blood transfusion. Thus far TA-MC has been detected when severely injured patients are transfused. Injury induces an immunosuppressive and inflammatory milieu in which fresh blood products with replication-competent leukocytes can sometimes cause TA-MC. TA-MC is present in approximately half of transfused severely injured patients at hospital discharge and is not affected by leukoreduction. In approximately 10% of patients, the chimerism from a single blood donor may increase in magnitude over months to years, reaching as much as 2% to 5% of all circulating leukocytes. In this review, we discuss recent studies of TA-MC in the civilian trauma population and the potential for study of TA-MC in the military population, where the severity of injury and freshness of blood products suggest that TA-MC may be even more prominent. We also discuss the need for future studies to address the immunology of TA-MC, its stem cell biology, and its clinical manifestations that have the potential to be either pathologic (autoimmunity, graft-versus-host disease) or therapeutic (tolerance induction, various cell and gene therapies).

Post-operative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predicts complications following colorectal surgery

INTRODUCTION

The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) correlates with serial organ dysfunction scores in colorectal surgical patients in critical care units. We hypothesised that the NLR on the first day after an elective colorectal resection would identify patients at increased risk of subsequent complications.

METHODS

With Ethics Committee approval, 100 patients were recruited to a prospective cohort study. Pre-operative test results and the full blood count on the first post-operative day were noted for all patients. The development of any pre-defined post-operative complications was recorded.

RESULTS

Elective colorectal resection was associated with an increase in mean NLR from 3.5 to 11.6 (p<0.001). Thirty patients developed at least one predefined complication. Patients with an NLR > or =9.3 on the first post-operative day had a significantly greater risk of complications (likelihood ratio 2.12; 95% confidence interval 1.366-3.253). Twenty-two patients had a white cell count > or =11 on the first post-operative day but this was not associated with a significantly increased risk of complications (likelihood ratio 1.94; 95% confidence interval 0.94-3.9).

CONCLUSION

NLR > or =9.3 on the first post-operative day is associated with an increased risk of complications. This simple derivation of routinely available data helps to identify patients at high-risk of complications, allowing targeted preventive measures.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Simple methods to identify colorectal cancer patients at risk of recurrence are needed. This study aimed to determine if neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts survival in colorectal cancer patients.

METHODS

Two-hundred thirty patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer over a two-year period were identified from a prospectively maintained colorectal cancer database. NLR was calculated from pre-operative full blood counts. In the case of patients who did not undergo surgery, the full blood count from their out-patient visit was used. Known prognostic factors were recorded. Overall and cancer-specific survival were calculated.

RESULTS

Pre-operative NLR greater than 5 correlated with overall and cancer-specific survival in univariate analyses. NLR was not independent of Dukes stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-operative NLR may represent a simple method of identifying colorectal cancer patients with a poor prognosis pre-operatively.

Surgical trauma and immunosuppression: pathophysiology and potential immunomodulatory approaches

BACKGROUND

Several studies indicate that organ failure is the leading cause of death in the postoperative phase after major surgery. An excessive inflammatory response followed by a dramatic depression of cell-mediated immunity after major surgery appears to be responsible for the increased susceptibility to subsequent sepsis. In view of this, most of the scientific and medical research has been directed towards measuring the progression and interrelationship of mediators after major surgery. Furthermore, the effect of those mediators on cell-mediated immune responses has been studied.

OBJECTIVE

This article focuses on the effect of surgical injury and blood loss on cell-mediated immune responses in experimental studies utilizing models of trauma and hemorrhagic shock. The findings from those experimental studies will also be correlated with data from surgical patients.

RESULTS

Recently, a gender-dimorphic immune and organ responsiveness in the susceptibility to and morbidity from shock, trauma, and sepsis has been found. Androgens have been shown to be responsible for the immunosuppression after trauma-hemorrhage in males. In contrast, female sex steroids exhibit immunoprotective properties after trauma and severe blood loss.

CONCLUSION

In view of these findings, clinically relevant therapeutic strategies have been developed using the testosterone receptor blocker flutamide and/or estrogen or agents with estrogenic effects, i.e., dehydroepiandrosterone, which might yield safe and useful therapeutic approaches for the treatment of immune depression in surgical patients.

Sepsis in pediatric burn patients

OBJECTIVE

To review the specific infections common in pediatric burns, including their categorization, diagnosis, and treatment.

DESIGN

Review of the literature and expert opinion.

RESULTS

Children with serious burns are prone to a host of septic complications. This proclivity to infection is secondary to the immunosuppressive effect of burn injury, the loss of the skin and mucosal physical barriers, and the requirement for invasive support devices.

CONCLUSION

Sepsis is common in the pediatric burn patient and can markedly increase morbidity and mortality. Anticipation, prompt diagnosis of infection, and effective therapy can result in successful outcomes for many of these children.

Time course and role of the pineal gland in photoperiod control of innate immune cell functions in male Siberian hamsters

The time course of select phagocyte and natural killer activities to short days was determined. In advance of testes regression, circulating granulocyte and monocyte cell numbers in hamsters decreased while lymphocyte numbers increased; phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity also decreased. To determine whether the pineal gland influences these innate immune cell functions, hamsters were exposed to constant light. Photoperiod control of testes weight and basal oxidative burst activity was abolished by treatment with constant light; other phagocyte activities and leukocyte proportions in circulation were not affected. The findings suggest that photoperiod and pineal gland function may regulate certain innate immune activities.

Blood Transfusion is Associated with Donor Leukocyte Microchimerism in Trauma Patients

INTRODUCTION

Blood transfusion can result in survival of donor leukocyte subpopulations in the recipient. Persistence of donor leukocytes in the transfusion recipient is termed microchimerism. Microchimerism likely reflects engraftment of the recipient with donor hematopoietic stem cells and is very uncommon with transfusion for elective surgery, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and HIV. We have found, however, that microchimerism may be more common in trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE

To determine how frequently transfusion after trauma is associated with microchimerism.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 45 trauma patients who were transfused > or =2 units of PRBCs. We sampled blood before hospital discharge and determined microchimerism by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of specimens using quantitative allele-specific HLA DR assays to detect non-recipient alleles. Data are expressed as median with interquartile range.

RESULTS

Patients had a median age of 38 (interquartile range 25, 58) years, ISS of 19 (13, 29), and mortality of 7%. Seventy-eight percent were men, and 84% had blunt trauma. Patients received a median of 6 (4, 16) (range 2, 87) units of PRBCs. Of the 45 patients, 24 (53%) had evidence of microchimerism. Compared with patients without evidence of microchimerism, these patients had no difference in mean age, gender, ISS, units of PRBCs transfused, time from transfusion to blood sampling, or proportion that underwent splenectomy. Twenty-one of the 24 patients with microchimerism had only 1 or 2 non-recipient DR alleles identified by PCR.

CONCLUSIONS

Transfusion after trauma is associated with over half of recipients having evidence of microchimerism. Age, sex, ISS, and splenectomy of the recipient and the number of transfused units did not correlate with microchimerism. Because the median time from transfusion to sampling for PCR analysis was not longer in the group without microchimerism, it is unlikely microchimerism is due merely to failure of the recipient to clear transfused donor leukocytes.