Prognostic Value of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients With Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated With Surgical Dissection

Exploring Inflammatory Parameters in Lung Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

Inflammation-related parameters serve as pivotal indicators in the prognosis and management of lung cancer. This retrospective investigation aimed to explore the relationship between inflammatory markers and diverse clinical variables in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. A cohort of 187 individuals undergoing elective lobectomy for lung cancer was retrospectively analyzed, spanning an 11-year data collection period. Six inflammation ratios derived from complete peripheral blood counts were assessed. Significantly elevated levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p = 0.005), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p = 0.001), Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI) (p = 0.015), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) (p = 0.004), and Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) (p = 0.004) were observed in patients with advanced T stages. Significantly, elevated values (p < 0.05) of these parameters were observed in the study's smoker patients compared to non-smokers. A statistically significant correlation was identified between the NLR parameter and tumor size (p = 0.07, r = 0.204), alongside a significant elevation in SIRI (p = 0.041) among patients experiencing postoperative complications. Inflammatory biomarkers emerge as invaluable prognostic indicators for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, offering potential utility in forecasting their prognosis.

Prognostic significance of systemic immune inflammatory index in NSCLC: a meta-analysis

Aim: The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between the baseline systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) and prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Materials & methods: The relation between pretreatment SII and overall survival, disease-free survival, cancer-specific survival, progression-free survival and recurrence-free survival in NSCLC patients was analyzed combined with hazard ratio and 95% CI. Results: The results showed that high SII was significantly correlated with overall survival and progression-free survival of NSCLC patients, but not with disease-free survival, cancer-specific survival and recurrence-free survival. Conclusion: The study suggests that a higher SII has association with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022336270.

Inflammation as a driver of hematological malignancies

Hematopoiesis is a tightly regulated process that produces all adult blood cells and immune cells from multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs usually remain quiescent, and in the presence of external stimuli like infection or inflammation, they undergo division and differentiation as a compensatory mechanism. Normal hematopoiesis is impacted by systemic inflammation, which causes HSCs to transition from quiescence to emergency myelopoiesis. At the molecular level, inflammatory cytokine signaling molecules such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferons, interleukins, and toll-like receptors can all cause HSCs to multiply directly. These cytokines actively encourage HSC activation, proliferation, and differentiation during inflammation, which results in the generation and activation of immune cells required to combat acute injury. The bone marrow niche provides numerous soluble and stromal cell signals, which are essential for maintaining normal homeostasis and output of the bone marrow cells. Inflammatory signals also impact this bone marrow microenvironment called the HSC niche to regulate the inflammatory-induced hematopoiesis. Continuous pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine activation can have detrimental effects on the hematopoietic system, which can lead to cancer development, HSC depletion, and bone marrow failure. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damage DNA and ultimately lead to the transformation of HSCs into cancerous cells, are produced due to chronic inflammation. The biological elements of the HSC niche produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause clonal growth and the development of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) in hematological malignancies. The processes underlying how inflammation affects hematological malignancies are still not fully understood. In this review, we emphasize the effects of inflammation on normal hematopoiesis, the part it plays in the development and progression of hematological malignancies, and potential therapeutic applications for targeting these pathways for therapy in hematological malignancies.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts survival in patients with resected lung invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The prognostic-related factors of lung invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma(IMA) are unclear because of its rarity. Various inflammation-based biomarkers were reported to predict the survival of malignant diseases. This study aims to explore the prognostic significance of the systemic immune-inflammation index(SII), which is calculated using absolute platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, among patients with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

From January 2015 to December 2019, 106 patients were identified as having IMA accepted radical resection and enrolled in the retrospective study. We analyzed the overall survival and disease-free survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to find the optimal SII cut-off values for survival. A Cox regression model was carried out for multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 53 men and 53 women, with a mean age of 60 years (range 29 to 78 years, median 61 years). The median SII measured before surgery was 378.47 (range: 79.87-1701.97). ROC analyses revealed that the optimal cut-off values of SII was 379.43 for predicting both OS and DFS. An elevated SII (≥379.43) was observed in 52 patients (49.1 %), and was associated with younger age (P = 0.02), advanced T staging (P = 0.042), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.018) and pneumonic-type IMA (P = 0.018). Multivariable analysis showed that SII and pneumonic-type IMA were independent prognostic predictors of OS and DFS in radically resected IMA patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

High SII is correlated with worse outcome and can be a novel prognostic biomarker for IMA patients accepted radical surgery.

Relationship Between Preoperative Inflammation Ratios Derived From Preoperative Blood Cell Count and Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Patients Undergoing Lobectomy: A Single-Center Observational Study

OBJECTIVE

Evaluation of the association of inflammatory cell ratios, especially neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), based on preoperative complete blood counts, with postoperative complications in lobectomy surgery.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective monocentric cohort study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at Foch University Hospital in Suresnes, France.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients having undergone a scheduled lobectomy from January 2018 to September 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

There were no interventions.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The authors studied 208 consecutive patients. Preoperative NLR, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic inflammation index, systemic inflammation response index, and aggregate inflammation systemic index were calculated. Median and (IQR) of NLR was 2.67 (1.92-3.69). No statistically significant association was observed between any index and the occurrence of at least one major postoperative complication, which occurred in 37% of the patients. Median postoperative length of stay was 7 (5-10) days. None of the ratios was associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS), defined as a LOS above the 75th percentile.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that simple available inflammatory ratios are not useful for the preoperative identification of patients at risk of postoperative major complications in elective lobectomy surgery.

Exploring the utility of a latent variable as comprehensive inflammatory prognostic index in critically ill patients with cerebral infarction

Objective

We introduce the comprehensive inflammatory prognostic index (CIPI), a novel prognostic tool for critically ill cerebral infarction patients, designed to meet the urgent need for timely and convenient clinical decision-making in this high-risk patient group.

Methods

Using exploratory factor analysis on selected indices-neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and systemic immune inflammation index (SIII)-we derived CIPI, a latent variable capturing their combined predictive power. Data from 1,022 patients in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database were used to develop CIPI-based survival models, with the robustness and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) performance of CIPI validated against an independent dataset of 326 patients from the MIMIC-III CareVue subset. The CIPI's predictive power for in-hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality was assessed through Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression models, and time-dependent AUC analysis. Linearity, subgroup sensitivity analyses and interaction effects with CIPI were also evaluated.

Results

CIPI was an independent prognostic factor, demonstrating a statistically significant association with in-hospital and ICU mortality, when assessed as a continuous and a categorical variable. It showed a linear relationship with mortality rates and demonstrated stability across most subgroups, with no significant interactions observed. Its predictive capabilities for in-hospital and ICU mortality among critically ill cerebral infarction patients matched those of established prognostic indices in the MIMIC database.

Conclusion

Our study indicates that CIPI is a reliable and effective prognostic tool for critically ill cerebral infarction patients in predicting in-hospital and ICU mortality. Its straightforward calculation, rooted in routine blood tests, enhances its practicality, promising significant utility in clinical settings.

Relationship of Complete Blood Count Derived Biomarkers With Methotrexate Resistance

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and joint damage. Among the therapeutic agents, methotrexate remains a cornerstone of initial treatment. Complete blood count (CBC)-derived biomarkers such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic immune response index (SIRI) have been extensively studied in various diseases. Still, their specific role in RA patients undergoing methotrexate treatment has not been investigated. Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship of CBC-derived biomarkers with methotrexate resistance in newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods We performed a comprehensive analysis of 54 RA patients, divided into methotrexate-resistant (MTXR) and methotrexate-sensitive (MTXS) groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess differences in hematological biomarkers between groups. Standard t-tests were used to compare specific biomarkers between the MTXR and MTXS groups. The chi-squared test was used to compare categorical variables between groups. Pearson's correlation test was also used to examine correlations between these biomarkers and Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) in both groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for each biomarker to determine predictive ability. Results A statistically increased PLR ratio was observed in the MTXR group compared to the MTXS group. Significant correlations between DAS28 and NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI were observed in the MTXR group. In contrast, these correlations were absent in the MTXS group. In addition to PLR, DAS28 and ESR were significantly higher in the MTXR group than in the MTXS group. None of these biomarkers showed prognostic value for methotrexate treatment outcomes. Conclusion PLR could be used as a biomarker for resistance to methotrexate treatment in a specific RA patient population. Increased PLR and ESR, together with higher DAS28, might be associated with a more pronounced inflammatory state in MTXR patients.

The combination of PD-L1 expression and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor of postoperative recurrence in non-small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

While PD-L1 expression and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are prognostic biomarkers for lung cancer, few studies have considered their interaction. We hypothesized that the product of PD-L1 expression (tumor proportion score) and the NLR (PD-L1 × NLR) might be a postoperative prognostic marker reflecting the immune microenvironment of lung cancer.

METHODS

We analyzed the association between PD-L1 × NLR and postoperative recurrence-free survival in 647 patients with NSCLC using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

In the analysis of PD-L1 × NLR as a categorical variable, the group with PD-L1 × NLR ≥ 25.8 had a significantly higher hazard ratio (HR) than the group with < 25.8 (adjusted HR 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-2.60). The adjusted HR for PD-L1 × NLR, considered a continuous variable, was 1.004 (95% CI, 1.002-1.006). The risk of postoperative recurrence increased by 1.004-fold for each unit increase in PD-L1 × NLR, and a more than 2-fold increase in risk was observed for values ≥ 170.

CONCLUSIONS

PD-L1 × NLR may be used in real-world clinical practice as a novel factor for predicting the risk of postoperative recurrence after lung cancer surgery.

Laparoscopic versus open gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a comprehensive contrastive analysis with propensity score matching

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) is increasingly applied in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC). However, there is no study to comprehensively evaluate the clinicopathological, prognostic, and laboratory data such as nutrition, immune, inflammation-associated indexes, and tumor markers between LG and open gastrectomy (OG) for LAGC following NC.

METHODS

The clinicopathological, prognostic, and laboratory data of LAGC patients with clinical stage of cT2-4aN1-3M0 who underwent gastrectomy after NC were retrospectively collected. The effects of LG and OG were compared after propensity score matching (PSM).

RESULTS

This study enrolled 148 cases, of which 110 cases were included after PSM. The LG group had a shorter length of incision (P < 0.001) and was superior to OG group in terms of blood loss (P < 0.001), postoperative first flatus time (P < 0.001), and postoperative first liquid diet time (P = 0.004). No significant difference was found in postoperative complications (P = 0.482). Laboratory results showed that LG group had less reduced red blood cells (P = 0.039), hemoglobin (P = 0.018), prealbumin (P = 0.010) in 3 days after surgery, and less reduced albumin in 1 day (P = 0.029), 3 days (P = 0.015), and 7 days (P = 0.035) after surgery than the OG group. The systemic immune-inflammation index and systemic inflammatory response index were not significantly different between the two groups. As for oncological outcomes, there were no significant differences in postoperative tumor markers of CEA (P = 0.791), CA199 (P = 0.499), and CA724 (P = 0.378). The 5-year relapse-free survival rates (P = 0.446) were 46.9% and 43.3% in the LG and OG groups, with the 5-year overall survival rates (P = 0.742) being 46.7% and 52.1%, respectively; the differences were not statistically significant. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that tumor size ≥ 4 cm (P = 0.021) and the absence of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

LG has faster gastrointestinal recovery, better postoperative nutritional status, and comparable oncological outcomes than OG, which can serve as an alternative surgical method for LAGC patients after NC.

Prognostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet counts during chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the predictive significance of dynamic changes in the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet counts (PLTs) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) during chemotherapy.

METHODS

A total of 259 advanced GC patients receiving chemotherapy were enrolled and grouped by high or low NLR with a cut value of 2.5 and PLT with cut value of 300×109/L. The Kaplan-Meier survival model and the Log-rank test were carried out to determine the comparison on the overall survival differences. Cox regression analysis was employed to carry out both univariate and multivariate regression studies, aiming to explore potential prognostic factors acting independently.

RESULTS

Higher pre-chemotherapy NLR exhibited an association with metastasis and advanced grade of Borrmann type, and higher NLR of pre- or post-chemotherapy GC patients was related with Borrmann type grade. Moreover, higher PLT counts are associated with advanced grades of Borrmann type. Interestingly, patients with lower post-chemotherapy NLR or decreasing NLR hold better overall response rate and disease control rate than those with higher NLR or increasing NLR. Furthermore, patients with high post-chemotherapy NLR alone or higher post-chemotherapy NLR plus higher post-chemotherapy PLT.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that high post-chemotherapy NLR and post-chemotherapy PLT might be adverse prognostic markers in advanced GC patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Prognostic Value of Systemic Inflammation Response Index in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection

BACKGROUND

The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAD) following open surgery.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Totally, 410 ATAD patients underwent open surgery from 2019 to 2021 were enrolled in the study. Among the patients, the in-hospital mortality was 14.4%. Cox regression (95%CI 1.033-1.114p < 0.001) and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (AUC = 0.718, p < 0.001) demonstrated the prognostic role of SIRI for in-hospital mortality after surgery. The optimal cut-off value of SIRI for in-hospital mortality was identified as 9.43 by maximally selected Log-Rank statistics. The patients were divided into high SIRI group (SIRI ≥ 9.43) and low SIRI group (SIRI < 9.43)) after the linear inverse relationship between SIRI and hazard ratio for in-hospital mortality was demonstrated by restricted cubic spline analysis (p = 0.0742). The Kaplan-Meier analysis illustrated that in-hospital mortality increased significantly in high SIRI group (p < 0.001). In addition, elevating SIRI was significantly associated with the incidence of coronary sinus tear (95%CI 1.020-4.475p = 0.044). Furthermore, the incidence rate of postoperative complications including renal failure (p < 0.001) and infection (p = 0.019) was higher in high SIRI group.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that preoperative SIRI could provide strong prognostic value for in-hospital mortality in ATAD patients following open surgery. Thus, SIRI was a promising biomarker for risk stratification and management prior to open surgery.

Investigation of the value of hematological biomarkers in the clinical differential diagnosis of IgG4-RD

BACKGROUND

IgG4- related disease (IgG4- RD) is a systemic fibroinflammatory disease whose pathogenesis has not been completely elucidated. Due to the novelty and complexity of the diagnostic criteria, it is difficult to distinguish from the diseases included in the differential diagnosis without tissue biopsy. This study aimed to discover new biomarkers that can help for disease diagnosis and its differential diagnosis by reviewing the relationships between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI).

METHODS

Thirty IgG4- RD, 38 granulomatous polyangiitis (GPA), and 46 sarcoidosis patients presenting to the Rheumatology Clinic meeting the criteria of 2019 American College of Rheumatology, 2012 International Chapel Hill and 1999 American Thoracic Society meeting, respectively, and 27 healthy control subjects were included. We collected data on complete blood count with automated differential values including NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI.

RESULTS

The SII and PLR values were significantly higher in patients with IgG4-RD compared to healthy controls, (SII median (minmax) 572 (102-5583) vs. 434 (172-897), PLR median (min-max) 130 (56.8-546) vs. 104 (57.5- 253) p < 0.001). SII value was found to have a significant positive correlation with CRP in IgG4-RD disease (r = 0.371; p = 0.043). While SII, SIRI, NLR, PLR parameters were not significant between the IgG4-RD and sarcoidosis groups, SII, SIRI, NLR, PLR were significantly higher in patients with GPA than in IgG4-RD patients (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

This is the first study to review the SII, SIRI, NLR, and PLR in IgG4-RD. The obtained results suggest that the SII could beused as a new tool, for differential diagnosis and activity of the IgG4-RD.

Clinical significance of preoperative neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio in the prognosis of resected early‐stage patients with non‐small cell lung cancer: A meta‐analysis

BACKGROUND

Poor prognosis is linked to peripheral blood levels of preoperative platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in many advanced cancers. Nevertheless, whether the correlation exists in resected early-stage cases with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stays controversial. Consequently, we performed a meta-analysis to explore the preoperative NLR and PLR's prognostic significance in early-stage patients with NSCLC undergoing curative surgery.

METHODS

Relevant studies that validated the link between preoperative NLR or PLR and survival results were found via the proceeding databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The merged 95% confidence interval (CI) and hazard ratio (HR) was employed to validate the link between the NLR or PLR's index and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in resected NSCLC cases. We used sensitivity and subgroup analyses to assess the studies' heterogeneity.

RESULTS

An overall of 21 studies were attributed to the meta-analysis. The findings indicated that great preoperative NLR was considerably correlated with poor DFS (HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.37-1.82, p < 0.001) and poor OS (HR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.33-1.72, p < 0.001), respectively. Subgroup analyses were in line with the pooled findings. In aspect of PLR, raised PLR was indicative of inferior DFS (HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.58, p = 0.021) and OS (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.18-1.60, p < 0.001). In the subgroup analyses between PLR and DFS, only subgroups with a sample size <300 (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.15-2.43, p = 0.008) and TNM staging of mixed (I-II) (HR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.04-2.07, p = 0.028) showed that the link between high PLR and poor DFS was significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative elevated NLR and PLR may act as prognostic biomarkers in resected early-stage NSCLC cases and are therefore valuable for guiding postoperative adjuvant treatment.

The Combination of Inflammatory Biomarkers as Prognostic Indicator in Salivary Gland Malignancy

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate how the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), taken individually and combined, are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients surgically treated for malignant salivary gland tumors (MSGTs). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 74 cases following surgery at our department between January 2011 and June 2018 was performed. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the optimal cutoff values for SII, SIRI, PLR, and NLR. Survival curves of different groups at 1−3−5 years were estimated using the Kaplan−Meier method. Results: The optimal thresholds with the highest sensitivity and specificity were 3.95 for NLR, 187.6 for PLR, 917.585 for SII, and 2.045 for SIRI. The ROC curves revealed that the best combination with AUC = 0.884 was SII + SIRI. The estimated 5-year OS probability in patients with SII+ SIRI scores of 0, 1, and 2 was 96%, 87.5% and 12.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: SII+ SIRI can independently predict the OS of patients after MSGT surgery. The prognostic score system based on SII+ SIRI may be good clinical practice as a reference for clinical decision-making.

Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers and Chest CT Findings as Predictors of Acute Limb Ischemia Risk, Intensive Care Unit Admission, and Mortality in COVID-19 Patients

Background: Numerous tools, including inflammatory biomarkers and lung injury severity scores, have been evaluated as predictors of thromboembolic events and the requirement for intensive therapy in COVID-19 patients. This study aims to verify the predictive role of inflammatory biomarkers [monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammatory index (SII), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI), and Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI)] and the CT Severity Score in acute limb ischemia (ALI) risk, intensive unit care (ICU) admission, and mortality in COVID-19 patients.; Methods: The present study was designed as an observational, analytical, retrospective cohort study and included all patients older than 18 years of age with a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, confirmed through real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and admitted to the County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Targu-Mureș, Romania, and Modular Intensive Care Unit of UMFST “George Emil Palade” of Targu Mures, Romania between January 2020 and December 2021. Results: Non-Survivors and “ALI” patients were associated with higher incidence of cardiovascular disease [atrial fibrillation (AF) p = 0.0006 and p = 0.0001; peripheral arterial disease (PAD) p = 0.006 and p < 0.0001], and higher pulmonary parenchyma involvement (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed a high baseline value for MLR, NLR, PLR, SII, SIRI, AISI, and the CT Severity Score independent predictor of adverse outcomes for all recruited patients (all p < 0.0001). Moreover, the presence of AF and PAD was an independent predictor of ALI risk and mortality. Conclusions: According to our findings, higher MLR, NLR, PLR, SII, SIRI, AISI, and CT Severity Score values at admission strongly predict ALI risk, ICU admission, and mortality. Moreover, patients with AF and PAD had highly predicted ALI risk and mortality but no ICU admission.

The prognostic value of the preoperative inflammatory index on the survival of glioblastoma patients

OBJECTIVES

The growth and development of tumors are closely related to the initiation and amplification of the inflammatory response. Various inflammatory biomarkers had attained growing attention for nearly two decades and were discovered strongly associated with cancer patients' prognosis, indicating that systemic inflammatory response is possibly essential to cancer progression. However, little was known about the sensitive biomarkers associated with the detection, persistence, treatment, and prognosis of GBM. Hence, the retrospective research endeavored to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative inflammatory biomarkers in patients with GBM who initially received standardized treatment.

METHODS

The 232 glioblastoma patients eligible who were admitted to Qilu Hospitals in Shandong Province from January 2014 to January 2018 were collected for this analysis. Inflammatory markers, including the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic immune response index (SIRI), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and albumin/globulin ratio (AGR), were designed. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and we calculated the area under the ROC curve to determine the AUC value. Besides, we used the Cox proportional hazard model to estimate the relationship between variables and PFS and OS. The statistical differences between variables and PFS and OS were tested through the log-rank test. What is more, the LR method was used to perform Cox multiple regression analysis. The results were represented by hazard ratio (HR), 95% CI, any 2-tailed P < 0.01 was accepted as statistically different.

RESULTS

The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model presented that SII ≥ 659.1 was an independent risk factor affecting OS (HR = 2.238, 95% CI = 1.471-3.406, P < 0.001) and postoperative PFS (HR = 2.000, 95% CI = 1.472-2.716, P < 0.001) in GBM patients. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of the SII < 659.1 group was 70.8%, 26.9%, and 14.1%, respectively, while the 1- and 3-year OS of the SII ≥ 659.1 group was 37.5% and 11.5% (P < 0.001). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS of the SII < 659.1 group was 36.3%, 19.6%, and 13%, respectively, while the 1-year PFS of the SII ≥ 659.1 group was 11.3% (P < 0.001). Results of patients' clinical and pathological characteristics paraded that in comparison to the lower SII group, the higher SII group had significantly inferior Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores (P < 0.001) and more frequent cystic changes of the tumors (P < 0.001), whereas the values of SIRI, NLR, PLR, MLR, and AGR were low.

CONCLUSIONS

SII is an independent inflammatory indicator for predicting the prognosis of GBM patients after receiving initially standardized treatments.

Chest CT Severity Score and Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers as Predictors of the Need for Invasive Mechanical Ventilation and of COVID-19 Patients' Mortality

Background: Numerous tools, including inflammatory biomarkers and lung injury severity scores, have been evaluated as predictors of disease progression and the requirement for intensive therapy in COVID-19 patients. This study aims to verify the predictive role of inflammatory biomarkers [monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic inflammatory index (SII), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI), Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] and the total system score (TSS) in the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Methods: The present study was designed as an observational, analytical, retrospective cohort study and included all patients over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia, confirmed through real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and radiological chest CT findings admitted to County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Targu-Mureș, Romania, and Modular Intensive Care Unit of UMFST “George Emil Palade” of Targu Mures, Romania between January 2021 and December 2021. Results: Non-Survivors patients were associated with higher age (p = 0.01), higher incidence of cardiac disease [atrial fibrillation (AF) p = 0.0008; chronic heart failure (CHF) p = 0.01], chronic kidney disease (CKD; p = 0.02), unvaccinated status (p = 0.001), and higher pulmonary parenchyma involvement (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed a high baseline value for MLR, NLR, SII, SIRI, AISI, IL-6, and TSS independent predictor of adverse outcomes for all recruited patients. Moreover, the presence of AF, CHF, CKD, and dyslipidemia were independent predictors of mortality. Furthermore, AF and dyslipidemia were independent predictors of IMV need. Conclusions: According to our findings, higher MLR, NLR, SII, SIRI, AISI, IL-6, and TSS values at admission strongly predict IMV requirement and mortality. Moreover, patients above 70 with AF, dyslipidemia, and unvaccinated status highly predicted IMV need and fatality. Likewise, CHF and CKD were independent predictors of increased mortality.

Identification of an Inflammatory Response-Related Gene Signature to Predict Survival and Immune Status in Glioma Patients

Background

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor with high mortality and poor outcomes. As a hallmark of cancers, inflammatory responses are crucial for their progression. The present study is aimed at exploring the prognostic value of inflammatory response-related genes (IRRGs) and constructing a prognostic IRRG signature for gliomas.

Materials and Methods

We investigated the relationship between IRRGs and gliomas by integrating the transcriptomic data for gliomas from public databases. Differentially expressed IRRGs (DE-IRRGs) were identified in the GSE4290 cohort. Further, univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to construct an IRRG signature using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Gliomas from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) cohort were employed for independent validation. The performance of gene signature was assessed by survival and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. The differences in clinical correlations, immune infiltrate types, immunotherapeutic response predictions, and pathway enrichment among subgroups were investigated via bioinformatic algorithms.

Results

In total, 37 DE-IRRGs were determined, of which 31 were found to be associated with survival. Ultimately, eight genes were retained to construct an IRRG signature that further classified glioma patients into two groups; the high-risk group suffered a poorer outcome as compared to the low-risk group. Furthermore, the high-risk group was significantly correlated with several risk factors, including older age, higher tumor grade, IDH wild type, 1p19q noncodel, and MGMT unmethylation. The nomogram was constructed by integrating the risk scores and other independent clinical characteristics. Moreover, the high-risk group had a greater immune infiltration and was most likely to benefit from immunotherapy. Gene set enrichment analysis suggested that immune and oncogenic pathways were enriched in high-risk glioma patients.

Conclusion

We constructed a signature composed of eight IRRGs for gliomas, which could effectively predict survival and guide decision-making for treatment.

Inflammatory Indexes as Predictive Biomarkers of Postoperative Complications in Oncological Thoracic Surgery

The role of inflammatory responses in predicting outcomes in oncological thoracic surgery is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate a series of blood count inflammation indexes as predicting factors for postoperative complications. We retrospectively studied 249 patients undergoing elective thoracic surgery in our institution between 2008 and 2020. A total of 184 patients underwent open surgery, and 65 underwent VATS. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios, Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) were calculated preoperatively and on the first and fourth postoperative days, as well as a new derivative index, the Aggregate Inflammation Systemic Index (AISI). Univariate correlations evidenced a statistically significant association between the NLR at the fourth postoperative day and the occurrence of surgical complications in the global cohort (rho = 0.15, p = 0.03). A similar significant association with MLR on the fourth postoperative day is found in the open group (rho = −0.15, p = 0.048). NLR and LMR on the fourth postoperative day are associated with postoperative complications in the whole and open groups, respectively. Simple, easy-to-perform and inexpensive, blood cell count indexes may be useful in predicting complications in oncological thoracic surgery. A greater number of broader, prospective, randomized studies are necessary to confirm these findings.