Long-term and short-term prognostic value of the prognostic nutritional index in cancer: a narrative review

Effects of integrative telehealth-based nutrition care with and without oral nutritional supplements in patients with liver and colorectal cancer: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the effects of post-discharge integrative telehealth-based nutritional care alone versus post-discharge integrative telehealth-based nutritional care combined with high-calorie/high-protein oral nutritional supplements (HCHP-ONS) on the nutritional status and quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) at risk of malnutrition.

METHODS

We recruited HCC or CRC patients who were at moderate to high risk of malnutrition, defined as a score of 4-9 on the abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (aPG-SGA), and randomly assigned them to either a telehealth nutritional care-control group (C group) or a telehealth nutritional care combined with HCHP-ONS group (C+O group) for a 3-month intervention. In group C, a dietitian provided monthly telehealth-based nutritional assessments and guidance through a mobile application (LINE) or phone calls. In the C+O group, in addition to telehealth-based nutritional assessments and guidance, patients received a daily can of HCHP-ONS, which provided 425 kcal and 19.1 g of protein per serving. Blood tests, anthropometric indicators, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and a nutritional status assessment were conducted monthly.

RESULTS

Results showed that the C+O group had significantly reduced malnutrition risk scores at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months. By the 3rd month, the C+O group showed significant improvement in the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and notable improvements in diarrhea and respiratory distress scores.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with HCC and CRC who were at risk of malnutrition, integrative telehealth-based nutritional care via LINE or phone calls effectively reduced malnutrition risk, maintained PNI, and supported quality of life (QOL). The addition of HCHP-ONS further enhanced nutritional outcomes, leading to greater improvements in PNI, diarrhea, and dyspnea by the 3rd month.

Immunotherapy of small cell lung cancer based on prognostic nutritional index

Platinum-based first-line chemotherapy for small lung cancers has been a mainstream therapy for the past several decades. However, its efficacy has been suboptimal, and the research is now focused on improving the treatment and prognosis of competitive nutrition and multidrug combination techniques. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is not only affected by smoking, age, sex and other external factors, but also the tumor micro-environment and the nutritional status of patients themselves are of great significance for the prevention and treatment of SCLC, a malignant tumor. According to past research, malnutrition is related to the intolerance to immunotherapy, decline in quality of life, psychological disturbances, and low survival rates and prognosis. Numerous studies have shown that a low Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) serves as an independent prognostic factor linked to reduced overall survival across various cancer types. Additionally, PNI has been associated with disease-free survival and progression-free survival in certain cancers, such as lung cancer (LC). Recent research has indicated that the PNI can serve as an independent predictor of both long-term outcomes and short-term complications in SCLC patients. However, a systematic consensus on this matter has yet to be established. This paper focuses on the role and influence of PNI in the immunotherapy of SCLC, and proposes the possibility of dietary therapy for SCLC patients under the guidance of PNI. Finally, the authors pointed out that PNI will become a new strategy for comprehensive immunotherapy of SCLC.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Could Serve as a Reliable Prognostic Marker in Intensive Care Population

Background: Morbidity and mortality rates in intensive care units (ICUs) reflect the severe health challenges faced by critically ill patients. Nutritional and immune status, as measured by the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), are increasingly recognized as important predictors of intensive care unit outcomes. Objective: We aimed to compare the prognostic nutritional index levels of survived and deceased subjects treated in intensive care units. Methods: This retrospective study examined the association between prognostic nutritional index and mortality among intensive care unit patients treated from June 2023 to June 2024. The prognostic nutritional index was calculated using serum albumin and lymphocyte levels, and patients were categorized into survived and deceased groups. Statistical analyses, including ROC and logistic regression, were used to evaluate prognostic nutritional index's predictive capacity. Results: We revealed that deceased patients had significantly lower prognostic nutritional index values, lower platelet counts, and higher C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum creatinine levels compared to survivors. The prognostic nutritional index was independently associated with mortality, with each unit increase decreasing mortality risk by 6%. Conclusion: These findings highlight the prognostic nutritional index's utility as a prognostic tool in intensive care unit settings, underscoring the need for nutritional assessments and targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes. Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to validate these findings and explore causative mechanisms.

Prognostic Nutritional Index as a Biomarker in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: Impact on Survival and Treatment Optimization

OBJECTIVE

The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), reflects the nutritional and immunological status of the patient and has been associated with outcomes in various cancers. In this study, the prognostic significance of PNI in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and its potential role in guiding treatment decisions between abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide is investigated.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis was performed on 167 mHSPC patients treated between 2019 and 2024. PNI was calculated using the formula: 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (/mm³). Patients were stratified into high and low PNI groups according to a cutoff value of 49.98, determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Survival outcomes, including overall survival (OS), radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS), and PSA progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), were assessed. Treatment responses to abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide were compared within PNI strata.

RESULTS

Patients with PNI > 49.98 had significantly longer median OS than those with PNI ≤ 49.98 (36.6 months vs. 30.0 months, p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis identified high PNI, ECOG performance status 0-1, and absence of visceral metastasis as independent predictors of improved OS. Among patients with low PNI, those treated with enzalutamide had superior OS compared to those receiving abiraterone acetate (p = 0.004), while no significant OS difference was noted between treatments in the high PNI group (p = 0.55).

CONCLUSION

PNI serves as a significant prognostic biomarker in mHSPC, correlating with overall survival and potentially influencing treatment efficacy between abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide. Integrating PNI into clinical practice may aid in tailoring individualized treatment options.

The Correlation and Predictive Value of Prognostic Nutrition Index with Vasovagal Syncope in Children

To investigate the correlation between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and vasovagal syncope (VVS) in children, as well as its predictive value. 151 children (68 males, aged 4-18 years) diagnosed with VVS due to unexplained syncope and presyncope in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were the study group, 152 healthy children (72 males, aged 7-14 years) who underwent physical examination in the same hospital during the same period of time were matched as the control group. Serum albumin (SA), serum globulin (SG), albumin/globulin (AGR), and peripheral blood lymphocyte absolute count (Lc) were measured, and PNI was calculated. ①PNI (51.35 vs. 55.28), SA (40.90 g/L vs. 43.05 g/L), AGR (1.65 vs. 1.75), and Lc (2.08 × 109/L vs. 2.49 × 109/L) were decreased in VVS group compared with control group (P < 0.05). ②Predictive analysis of VVS by PNI: The area under receiver operator characteristic curve of PNI prediction of VVS was 0.814, which indicated that PNI had moderate predictive value for VVS diagnosis. When PNI cutoff value was 55.00, the sensitivity, specificity, and Youden index of predicting VVS were 90.73%, 54.61%, and 0.45, respectively. ③PNI (OR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.58-0.74, P < 0.001) is also as an independent protective factor for VVS. PNI is correlated with VVS in children, holds predictive value for the diagnosis of pediatric VVS, and serves as an independent protective factor for VVS occurrence in children.

Integrating nutritional status and hematological biomarkers for enhanced prognosis prediction in glioma patients: A systematic review

PURPOSE

Multiple inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers have been established as independent prognostic factors across various solid tumors, but their role in outcomes prediction for glioma is still under investigation. Aim of the present systematic review is to report the available evidence regarding the impact of nutritional assessment and intervention for glioma prognosis and patients' quality of life (QoL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our systematic review conformed to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched to identify studies assessing the impact of nutritional status and intervention and hematological biomarkers on survival outcomes and quality of life in patients with newly diagnosed gliomas. In the search strategy Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were used. Search terms included ("nutritional status" or "nutritional assessment" or "nutritional intervention") AND ("glioma" or "glioblastoma" or "high-grade glioma" or "low-grade glioma" or "anaplastic astrocytoma" or "anaplastic oligodendroglioma") AND ("prognosis" or "survival outcomes"). The quality of each study was investigated based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) criteria. Selected papers were in English and included publications in humans. This study was registered on PROSPERO (Registration No. CRD42024555442).

RESULTS

Our search retrieved 20 papers published between 2015 and 2023, all aiming at investigating correlations between hematological biomarkers (albumin, prealbumin, fibrinogen) and/or nutritional tools (Controlling Nutritional Score, CONUT; Prognostic Nutritional Index, PNI) and survival outcomes and quality of life of glioma patients. Nutritional intervention as well was evaluated for outcomes prediction. Overall, most papers contributed to the evidence of how nutritional assessment and inflammatory biomarkers could play an independent prognostic role also in the management of glioma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

PNI, CONUT score and hematological biomarkers (e.g. albumin, globulin, neutrophils, lymphocytes) may serve as useful predictors in patients with gliomas, potentially influencing clinical decisions. Additional large-scale studies are required to validate these findings and determine the mechanisms by which nutritional status, systemic inflammation and immune status affect prognosis in glioma patients.

Nutritional conditions and PFS and OS in cancer immunotherapy: the MOUSEION-010 meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The MOUSEION-010 Meta-Analysis assessed the association between nutritional status and clinical outcomes such as Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) among cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

METHODS

Nutritional status was assessed based on the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) indexes. Databases consulted were: Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.

RESULTS

PNI and GNRI indexes did not show a significant association with both PFS and OS, while CONUT index displayed a significant difference in PFS between the two groups, in favor of the control group (Z = 4.04; p < 0.01) also without any publication bias (β= -1.27; 95% CI = [-2.13; -0.42]; p = 0.10]). The same trend was recorded in OS, too (Z = 4.24; p < 0.01). However, publication bias was present (β = 1.89; 95% CI = [1.26; 2.54]; p = 0.028]) and the numerosity of the studies did not reveal the sufficient statistical power to obtain reliable results.

CONCLUSION

Malnutrition could negatively impact cancer patients, especially in advanced phases. Our findings could be associated with the reduction of physical ability and daily activity performance, lower compliance with treatment protocols, and shorter survival outcomes.

Cancer, malnutrition and inflammatory biomarkers. Why do some cancer patients lose more weight than others?

Introduction

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in cancer patients, significantly influencing their clinical outcomes and prognosis. The study was conducted to investigate the association between inflammatory biomarkers, nutritional status and progression of the disease across various types of cancers.

Material and methods

Retrospective data from 200 consecutive Caucasian cancer patients admitted to a major oncology hospital for cancer treatment were analyzed according to age, sex, cancer type, nutritional status (percentage body weight loss - %BWL), body mass index (BMI), percentage of dietary intake from the calculated requirement for nutrients (%DI)), and laboratory results (albumin levels, total protein concentration, C-reactive protein - CRP). Inflammatory biomarkers such as prognostic nutritional index (PNI), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were assessed.

Results

Prognostic nutritional index (ρ = -0.464, p < 0.001), PLR (ρ = 0.293, p = 0.019), albumin level (ρ = -0.490, p < 0.001), platelet count (ρ = 0.114, p = 0.370), neutrophil count (ρ = 0.273, p = 0.030), CRP (ρ = 0.293, p = 0.019) and lymphocyte count (ρ = -0.288, p = 0.021) were significantly associated with %BWL. No significant association was found with NLR. Cancer dissemination was significantly associated with PNI (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88-0.98), PLR (OR: 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00-1.01), albumin (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.80-0.93), platelet count (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.01), %BWL (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.10) and %DI (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96-0.99) but not with NLR, total protein level, total lymphocyte count, or BMI. For patients with albumin levels below 35 g/l, the likelihood of disseminated cancer was more than five times higher (OR: 5.45, 95% CI: 2.05-14.48).

Conclusions

The intensity of inflammation may be responsible for the severity of malnutrition and cancer prognosis.

Correlation between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the 90-day all-cause mortality in patients with acute respiratory failure: a retrospective analysis based on the MIMIC-IV Database

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to examine the impact of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on 90-day all-cause mortality in individuals suffering from acute respiratory failure (ARF).

METHODS

Retrospectively including ARF patients from the MIMIC IV database, we classified them into the survivor and non-survivor cohorts according to their 90-day all-cause mortality rate. Demographic information, comorbidity, laboratory parameters, and other indices were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 3941 patients aged 65.0 years were enrolled in this. Multivariate COX regression analysis identified age(HR = 1.034, 95%CI:1.025-1.042,P < 0.001), history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(HR = 1.406, 95%CI:1.051-1.879,P = 0.022), history of hypertension(HR = 1.287, 95%CI:1.021-1.622,P = 0.032), history of type 2 diabetes mellitus(HR = 1.389, 95%CI:1.073-1.798,P = 0.013),history of coronary heart disease(HR = 2.138, 95%CI:1.639-2.788,P < 0.001), respiratory rate(HR = 1.043, 95%CI:1.026-1.01,P < 0.001), platelets (HR = 0.998, 95%CI: 0.997-0.999,P = 0.001), hemoglobin(HR = 0.859, 95%CI:0.820-0.901,P < 0.001), serum sodium (HR = 0.959, 95%CI:=0.041) and NLR(Q4, in comparison to Q1, HR = 1.627, 95%CI:1.167-2.268,P = 0.004) as independent predictors of the 90-day all-cause mortality rate. The relationship between NLR and mortality was observed to be non-linear(P-non-linear = 0.008) based on RCS curve analysis, with a threshold value of 12.8. A high NLR above this threshold was significantly associated with increased 90-day mortality rate after adjustment for covariates(HR = 1.535, 95%CI:1.196-1.968,P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The role of NLR as a risk factor in predicting 90-day all-cause mortality in ARF patients highlights its potential clinical usefulness in assessing patient prognosis.

Impact of Nutritional Changes on the Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Underwent Curative Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is increasingly used to improve survival in patients with pancreatic cancer; however, it often results in nutritional deterioration, which may negatively impact patient outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of changes in nutritional status on the long-term outcomes of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative surgery after NAC.

METHODS

This retrospective single-center study included 148 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative surgery after NAC between 2010 and 2020. The Controlled Nutritional Status (CONUT) score was used to determine the nutritional status of the patients. Patients were categorized into worsened, maintained, and improved groups based on the changes in their CONUT scores before and after NAC. We compared differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the groups.

RESULTS

The worsened nutritional status group exhibited the shortest median OS (28 months) compared to the maintained and improved groups (39 and 66 months, respectively; p = 0.01). Additionally, the worsened group demonstrated the shortest DFS compared to the other two groups (13, 22, and 39 months, respectively; p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis identified nutritional deterioration as an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratios (HR), 2.11; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.31-3.40; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Nutritional deterioration after NAC is a significant prognostic factor of poor survival outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. These findings indicate that serial nutritional assessments and treatment during NAC are crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Serum PM20D1 levels are associated with nutritional status and inflammatory factors in gastric cancer patients undergoing early enteral nutrition

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Early nutritional support holds paramount importance for postoperative gastric cancer (GC) patients. Peptidase M20 domain containing 1 (PM20D1) is a secretory enzyme associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. However, there is a dearth of clinical studies delving into the connection between PM20D1, lipid metabolism, and inflammatory factors in GC patients who have received enteral nutrition (EN). This research aimed to investigate the serum levels of PM20D1 in GC patients following early EN and their potential associations with lipid metabolism, nutritional markers, and inflammatory factors.

METHODS

This prospective observational study enrolled 180 GC patients between May 2020 and July 2022. On the first postoperative day, all patients received EN support, which was maintained for a duration of 5 days. Serum levels of PM20D1, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and C-reactive protein were measured on the sixth day after surgery using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data on demographics, clinical statistics, lipid metabolism, nutritional parameters, and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were collected. Patients were followed up for 12 months, and both overall survival and disease-free survival were recorded.

RESULTS

In the low PNI group, the serum levels of PM20D1, albumin (ALB), and blood lymphocytes (BL) showed significant reductions. Pearson analysis revealed a negative correlation between PM20D1 and IL-6 levels, whereas a positive correlation emerged between PM20D1 and ALB and BL levels. Furthermore, PM20D1 demonstrated potential as a biomarker for diagnosing poor nutritional status (PNI < 43) in GC patients and was a risk factor for poor nutritional status in GC patients.

CONCLUSION

Serum PM20D1 remarkably declined in GC patients after early EN and was associated with poor nutritional status.

Prognostic significance of hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet score in solid tumors: a pooled study

Objective

The high hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score has been reported to be a good prognostic indicator for several malignancies. However, more evidence is needed before it can be introduced into clinical practice. Here, we systematically evaluated the predictive value of HALP for survival outcomes in patients with solid tumors.

Methods

This study was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) Guidelines. In March 2024, an electronic literature search was performed for articles regarding the prognostic role of HALP in solid tumors. Data from studies with reported risk ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled in a meta-analysis. Study bias was assessed using the QUIPS tool.

Results

Of the 729 articles reviewed, 45 cohorts including data from 17,049 patients with cancer were included in the pooled analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that elevated HALP score was significantly associated with favorable overall survival (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.54-0.67, p < 0.01), cancer-specific survival (HR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.44- 0.64, p < 0.01), progression-free survival (HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.72, p < 0.01), recurrence-free survival (HR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.30-0.77, p < 0.01), and disease-free survival (HR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.57-0.82, p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses based on various confounding factors further revealed the consistent prognostic impact of HALP on overall survival in patients with solid tumors.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that high HALP is associated with better survival outcomes in patients. The HALP score is a potential prognostic biomarker in solid tumors, but it needs to be further studied whether it can improve the established prognostic model.

Development and validation of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion weighted imaging-based model for preoperative distinguishing nuclear grade and survival of clear cell renal cell carcinoma complicated with venous tumor thrombus

OBJECTIVE

To assess the utility of multiparametric MRI and clinical indicators in distinguishing nuclear grade and survival of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) complicated with venous tumor thrombus (VTT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 105 and 27 patients in the training and test sets, respectively. Preoperative MRI, including intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI), was performed. Renal lesions were evaluated for IVIM-DWI metrics and conventional MRI features. All the patients had postoperative histologically proven ccRCC and VTT. An expert uropathologist reviewed all specimens to confirm the nuclear grade of the World Health Organization/ International Society of Urological Pathology (WHO/ISUP) of the tumor. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to select the preoperative imaging features and clinical indicators. The predictive ability of the logistic regression model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

High WHO/ISUP nuclear grade was confirmed in 69 of 105 patients (65.7%) in the training set and 19 of 27 patients (70.4%) in the test set, respectively (P = 0.647). Dp_ROI_Low, tumor size, serum albumin, platelet count, and lymphocyte count were independently related to high WHO/ISUP nuclear grade in the training set. The model identified high WHO/ISUP nuclear grade well, with an AUC of 0.817 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.735-0.899), a sensitivity of 70.0%, and a specificity of 77.8% in the training set. In the independent test set, the model demonstrated an AUC of 0.766 (95% CI, 0.567-0.966), a sensitivity of 79.0%, and a specificity of 75.0%. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the predicted high WHO/ISUP nuclear grade group had poorer progression-free survival than the low WHO/ISUP nuclear grade group in both the training and test sets (P = 0.001 and P = 0.021).

CONCLUSIONS

IVIM-DWI-derived parameters and clinical indicators can be used to differentiate nuclear grades and predict progression-free survival of ccRCC and VTT.

Prognostic Nutritional Index and the Survival of Patients with Endometrial cancer: A Meta-analysis

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has emerged as a potential predictor of clinical outcomes in various cancers. However, a quantativetily analysis of its role in endometrial cancer (EC) remains lacking. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the prognostic value of PNI on the survival outcomes of patients with EC. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Wanfang, and CNKI to identify relevant cohort studies. Studies were included if they provided sufficient data to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) based on PNI levels. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. Pooled HRs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model to account for heterogeneity. A total of 10 studies, encompassing 3656 patients, met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that a low PNI was significantly associated with poorer OS (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.62-2.49, p < 0.05; I2 = 54%) and PFS (HR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.74-4.33, p < 0.05; I2 = 78%) in patients with EC. Subgroup analyses indicated that the prognostic impact of PNI was consistent in studies from Asian and non-Asian countries, and across studies with different ages of the patients, cutoff values of PNI, and follow-up duration (p for subgroup difference all > 0.05). In conclusion, the PNI is a prognostic marker for survival in patients with EC.

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) correlates with survival in head and neck cancer patients more precisely than other nutritional markers - real world data

PURPOSE

The survival benefit with higher body mass index (BMI) of patients suffering from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is documented as BMI paradox. As the early re-nourishment of high-risk patients determine survival, we searched for a nutritional status marker suitable for everyday screening. Grouping patients based on the 8th Edition of TNM Classification, we investigated for the first time the candidate nutritional status markers among TNM8 subgroups, including the newly introduced p16 positive oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study enrolling 661 patients and collecting anthropometric indices, laboratory parameters, clinical scores, nutritional risk scores. To discover the best one for screening survival analyses and correlation tests were executed.

RESULTS

By performing univariate Cox regression, we found three nutritional markers significantly correlating with overall survival (OS) and cancer specific survival (CSS): BMI at diagnosis, percent of weight loss over six months and prognostic nutritional index (PNI). The latter proved to be independent of tumor stage. p16 negative OPSCC patient's OS and CSS did not correlate with BMI, but it did correlate with PNI and percent of weight loss. BMI was the only marker correlating with OS, only in stage 4 hypopharyngeal cancer patients. All three markers significantly correlated with survival among p16 positive oropharyngeal and glottic cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

We found BMI, percent of weight loss and PNI good candidate markers for malnutrition. PNI proved to be superior in every aspect, enabling the treating physicians to discover high-risk patients in need of aggressive re-nourishment. The survival of supraglottic laryngeal squamous cancer patients seemed to be independent of these nutritional status markers, which observation should be a subject of further investigations.

Predictive value of prognostic nutritional index in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The value of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in gastrectomy remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the predictive value of PNI in patients undergoing gastrectomy for malignancy.

METHODS

We retrieved studies from medical literature databases to analyze the endpoints of overall survival, cancer-specific survival, recurrence-free survival, and clinicopathologic features. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to access the survival prognostic value of PNI in patients after gastrectomy. Odds ratio and mean difference were used to evaluate the relationship between the low PNI and clinicopathologic features.

RESULTS

In total, we included 38 articles (39 trial comparisons) which contained 23,756 gastrectomy patients. The results showed that low PNI was associated with shorter overall survival (HR: 1.82, 95% CI 1.62-2.03), shorter cancer-specific survival (HR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.24-1.67), and shorter recurrence-free survival (HR: 2.52, 95% CI 1.41-4.47). Besides, patients with low PNI had a higher risk of postoperative complications compared with high PNI (HR: 1.65, 95% CI 1.30-2.09). And low PNI group was found to be related to older, lower BMI, larger tumor size, deeper tumor invasion, poorer differentiation, more advanced tumor stage, total gastrectomy, and the presence of lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and vessel invasion.

CONCLUSION

PNI was significantly associated with survival and postoperative complications of gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy. Therefore PNI has the potential to be a prognostic predictor for gastrectomy.

Can maternal inflammatory and nutritional status, evaluated by the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in the first trimester, predict late-onset fetal growth restriction?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of immunonutritional markers, specifically the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), in predicting late-onset fetal growth restriction (LO-FGR) during the first trimester.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center between October 2022 and August 2023. The study included a total of 213 singleton pregnancies, with 99 women in the LO-FGR group and 114 in the healthy control group, matched by maternal age and gestational age at delivery. All blood samples were collected between 11 and 14 weeks of gestation (during the first-trimester screening test). We analyzed first-trimester laboratory parameters, specifically focusing on hemoglobin levels, white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, platelets, and albumin levels. Afterwards, we calculated the HALP score and PNI, and then compared the values of both groups.

RESULTS

Both HALP score (3.58 ± 1.31 vs. 4.19 ± 1.8, p = 0.012) and PNI (36.75 ± 2.9 vs. 39.37 ± 3.96, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the FGR group than in the control group. The HALP score cut-off value of < 3.43 in predicting FGR had a sensitivity of 62.3% and specificity of 54.5% (AUC = 0.600, 95% CI: 0.528-0.672, p = 0.012). The PNI cut-off value of < 37.9 in predicting FGR had a sensitivity of 65.8% and specificity of 62.9% (AUC = 0.707, 95% CI: 0.632-0.778, p < 0.001). While the HALP score was not a significant predictor of composite adverse neonatal outcomes in the FGR group, PNI showed a cut-off value of < 37.7 with a sensitivity of 60.9% and specificity of 59.7% (AUC = 0.657, 95% CI: 0.581-0.733, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The HALP score and PNI are valuable prognostic tools for predicting the risk of FGR in the first trimester. Low PNI values are also associated with composite adverse neonatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by FGR.

Nutrition's checkpoint inhibition: The impact of nutrition on immunotherapy outcomes

OBJECTIVES

To determine if nutritional status effects response to immunotherapy in women with gynecologic malignancies.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted on gynecologic cancer patients who received immunotherapy at a single institution between 2015 and 2022. Immunotherapy included checkpoint inhibitors and tumor vaccines. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was calculated from serum albumin levels and total lymphocyte count. PNI values were determined at the beginning of treatment for each patient and assessed for their association with immunotherapy response. Disease control response (DCR) as an outcome of immunotherapy was defined as complete response, partial response, or stable disease.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-eight patients received immunotherapy (IT) between 2015 and 2022. The gynecological cancers treated were uterine (38%), cervix (32%), ovarian (25%), and vulvar or vaginal (4%) cancers. The mean PNI for responders was higher than the non-responder group (p < 0.05). The AUC value for PNI as a predictor of response was 49. A PNI value of 49 was 43% sensitive and 85% specific for predicting a DCR. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, after adjusting for ECOG score and the number of prior chemotherapy lines, severe malnutrition was associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.85, p = 0.08) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 3.82, p < 0.001). Patients with PNI < 49 were at a higher risk of IT failure (HR = 2.24, p = 0.0001) and subsequent death (HR = 2.84, p = 9 × 10-5).

CONCLUSIONS

PNI can be a prognostic marker to predict response rates of patients with gynecologic cancers treated with immunotherapy. Additional studies needed to understand the mechanistic role of malnutrition in immunotherapy response.

The Utility of Immuno-Nutritional Scores in Patients with Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

BACKGROUND

Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte, and Platelet Score (HALP) is an accessible score that is easily reproducible from routine laboratory testing while also reflecting patients' immune-nutritional status. Along with other immuno-nutritional scores, such as the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI), HALP has been associated with a number of clinical and pathological features. The goal of our study was to evaluate the prognostic utility of HALP and PNI scores in testicular germ cell cancer (GCT) patients.

METHODS

This case-only study included 203 testicular GCT patients who were classified according to the disease stage and HALP and PNI cut-offs. Complete blood count and albumin concentration were routinely determined.

RESULTS

The values of HALP and PNI significantly differed among different clinical stages (p < 0.05). Moreover, they clearly exposed a significantly higher risk of advanced clinical stage development for those testicular GCT patients with lower values of HALP and PNI (p < 0.05). Finally, lower score levels were associated with larger tumor size (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our investigation could provide evidence that specific immune-nutritional scores can help distinguish individuals diagnosed with testicular GCT who are more likely to be identified with advanced disease stages.

Hypoalbuminemia and hypercalcemia are independently associated with poor treatment outcomes of anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Recent randomized phase III trials have demonstrated the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in treating patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RMHNSCC). However, a large proportion of such patients still have poor response. This study aimed to identify biomarkers for predicting anti-PD-1 ICI treatment outcomes .

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 144 patients with RMHNSCC who received anti-PD-1 ICIs after progression to platinum-based chemotherapy between January 2017 and December 2022 at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Data on clinicopathological parameters, albumin levels, calcium levels, and other pretreatment peripheral blood biomarkers, including total lymphocyte count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were collected and correlated with the treatment outcome of anti-PD-1 ICIs.

RESULTS

Low tumor proportion score (TPS), low combined positive score (CPS), NLR ≥ 5, PLR ≥ 300, hypercalcemia, hypoalbuminemia, and PNI < 45 were significantly correlated with poor response of ICIs. The overall response rates were 25% and 3% in patients with calcium < 10 mg/dL and calcium ≥ 10 mg/dL, respectively (P = 0.007). The overall response rates were 6% and 33% in patients with albumin < 4 g/dL and albumin ≥ 4 g/dL, respectively (P < 0.001). Univariate survival analysis showed that low TPS, low CPS, NLR ≥ 5,, hypercalcemia, hypoalbuminemia, and PNI < 45 were significantly associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and inferior overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis revealed that calcium ≥ 10 mg/dL and albumin < 4 g/dL were independent poor prognosticators for worse PFS and inferior OS. The two-year OS rates were 26% and 9% in patients with calcium < 10 mg/dL and ≥ 10 mg/dL, respectively (P < 0.001). The two-year OS rates were 10% and 33% in patients with albumin < 4 g/dL and ≥ 4 g/dL, respectively (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Hypercalcemia and hypoalbuminemia can potentially predict poor treatment outcomes of anti-PD-1 ICIs in patients with RMHNSCC. Blood calcium and albumin levels may be helpful in individualizing treatment strategies for patients with RMHNSCC.

Investigation of biomarkers to predict outcomes in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

Various biomarkers have been developed and evaluated to predict the prognosis and complications of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Most previous studies conducted on different biomarkers evaluated single effects such as those associated with inflammation, immunology, iron metabolism, and nutrition, and only a few studies have comprehensively analyzed markers.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to survey comprehensive multiple markers prior to HCT and extract those that significantly predict the outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective multicenter observational study was performed. (UMIN000013506) Patients undergoing HCT for hematologic diseases were consecutively enrolled. Besides the usual clinical biomarkers, serum samples for extra-clinical biomarkers were collected and cryopreserved before starting the conditioning regimen. A total of 32 candidate biomarkers were selected, 23 from hematology, biochemistry, immunology, nutrition, and iron metabolism, and 9 from composite markers. Based on the area under the curve (AUC) values for survival, promising biomarkers was extracted. Internal validation for these markers was applied based on bootstrap methods. Setting the cut-off values for them, log-rank test was applied and outcomes including overall survival (OS), relapse, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were evaluated using multivariate analyses. Furthermore, detailed analysis including transplant-related complications and external validation were conducted focusing on C-reactive protein (CRP) to platelet (Plt) ratio.

RESULTS

A total of 152 patients with hematologic malignancies were enrolled from April 2014 to March 2017. CRP, soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R), CRP to albumin (Alb) ratio, CRP to Plt ratio, Plt to IL2R ratio, and IL2R to Alb ratio were identified as promising markers. Internal validation successfully confirmed their reliability of AUC and multivariate analysis demonstrated the statistical significance between the higher and the lower markers. Above all, a higher CRP to Plt ratio was significantly associated with a lower OS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-5.91; P = 0.008) and higher non-relapse mortality rates (HR 2.79; 95%CI 1.14-6.80; P = 0.024) at 180 days. Furthermore, univariate analysis showed that a higher CRP to Plt ratio was significantly associated with a higher incidence of sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (P < 0.001) and bloodstream infection (P = 0.027). An external validation test confirmed the significance of the CRP to Plt ratio for these outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The multicenter prospective observational study successfully identified significant biomarkers in patients with hematologic malignancies who received HCT. In particular, CRP to Plt ratio was identified as a novel and useful biomarker for predicting transplant outcomes. Further investigations are needed to validate the novel markers, analysis of the pathophysiology, and application to treatment settings other than HCT.

Relationship Between Preoperative Nutritional Indicators and Postoperative Complications in Patients with Oesophageal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Nutritional status is an essential factor in the occurrence of complications in patients with esophageal cancer. We sought to assess the relationship between malnutrition and complications using various nutritional assessment indicators. We conducted a comprehensive literature search of medical databases for articles published up to July 2023. The primary outcome indicator is the occurrence of complications, for which we combined 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and odds ratios (ORs) for postoperative complications and analyzed them using a random effects model. The analysis was carried out using STATA15.0 software. A total of 33 study groups from 22 publications with 5,675 subjects were included. Pooled results show that nutritional indicators are strongly correlated with the occurrence of postoperative complications (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.30-1.62). In the subgroup analyses, comprehensive indicators and the skeletal muscle index were significantly associated with complications, whereas laboratory indicators were not associated with complications (comprehensive indicators OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.80-4.00; skeletal muscle index OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.44-5.99; laboratory indicators OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.96-1.16). Patients with normal body mass index and hospitalized patients were more likely to develop complications. Malnutrition is strongly associated with the development of complications. Nutritional indicators and patient characteristics influenced this relationship.

Prognostic Nutritional Index and the Risk of Postoperative Complications After Spine Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

A low prognostic nutritional index (PNI) may reflect malnutrition, which has been associated with poor prognosis in patients with various clinical conditions. The aim of the systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the association between preoperative PNI and risk of postoperative complications in adult patients after spine surgery.

METHODS

An extensive search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify relevant cohort studies. Random-effects models were employed to combine the findings, taking into account the potential influence of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Ten cohort studies involving 3,249 patients receiving spine surgeries were included. Pooled results showed that a low preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was associated with an increased risk of overall postoperative complications in these patients (odds ratio [OR]: 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42 to 2.34, P < 0.001; I2 = 49%). Specifically, a preoperative malnutrition as evidenced by a low PNI was associated with a higher incidence of postoperative delirium (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.52 to 3.66, P < 0.001; I2 = 38%) and surgical site infection (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.73, P = 0.001; I2 = 0%). Sensitivity analyses by excluding one study at a time did not significantly change the results (P all <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A preoperative low prognostic nutritional index (PNI) may be a risk factor of increased incidence of overall postoperative complications, postoperative delirium, and surgical site infection in adult patients after spine surgeries.

The role of nutrition-based index in predicting survival of breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) are two model that incorporates the role of inflammation and nutrition factors to predict the progression of tumor. The primary objective of this investigation is to examine the ability of PNI and CONUT score for predicting the survival in breast cancer patients.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted on the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Europe PMC, and Medline databases up until August 14th, 2023, utilizing a combination of relevant keywords. This review incorporates literature that examines the relationship between PNI, CONUT, and survival in breast cancer. We employed random-effect models to analyze the hazard ratio (HR) and present the outcomes together with their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

A total of sixteen studies were incorporated. The results of our meta-analysis indicated that high PNI was associated with better overall survival (OS) (HR 0.38; 95%CI: 0.28-0.51, p < 0.00001, I2 = 32 %), but not disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 0.60; 95%CI: 0.33-1.10, p = 0.10, I2 = 78 %) than low PNI in breast cancer patients. Meta-analysis also indicated that high CONUT was associated with worse OS (HR 1.66; 95%CI: 1.21-2.28, p = 0.002, I2 = 78 %) and worse DFS (HR 2.09; 95%CI: 1.60-2.73, p < 0.00001, I2 = 41 %) in breast cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests the prognostic role of both PNI and CONUT score for predicting survival in breast cancer patients.

Influence of Prognostic Nutritional Index on the Surveillance After Surgery-Based Systematic Therapy for Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a comprehensive reflection of the nutritional and immune status of the patient, which is closely related to the ability of the organism to clear tumor cells and reduce local recurrence. Several findings suggested that PNI was a prognostic indicator for breast cancer, but the conclusions were conflicting. We aimed to comprehensively elucidate the prognostic value of PNI in breast cancer patients.

METHODS

Relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched through March 2023. Data extraction and literature quality assessment of the screened studies were performed. The associations between PNI and overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in breast cancer patients who received clinical treatment were assessed by hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

A total of 7 studies involving 2212 patients met the inclusion criteria. High PNI was a favorable independent predictor of prolonged OS and PFS after clinical treatment in breast cancer patients compared to low PNI (for OS: HR = .38, 95% CIs .31 ∼ .46, P < .001; for DFS: HR = .32, 95% CIs .19 ∼ .51, P < .001). In subgroup analysis, high PNI was a prognostic factor for extended DFS in the context of a study sample size ≥300 (HR = .39, 95% CIs .28 ∼ .54, P < .001) and patients not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR = .51, 95% CIs .37 ∼ .70, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

The PNI has a significant correlation with the prognosis of breast cancer patients. We suggest that individualized targeted treatment and long-term surveillance should be implemented for patients with different levels of PNI.

Predictive value of systemic immune inflammation index (SII) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) on mortality after below-knee amputation

This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of SII (Systemic Immune Inflammation Index) and PNI (Prognostic Nutritional Index) with blood ratios on mortality in diabetic foot patients who underwent below-knee amputation. A total of 231 living (n = 71; 30.7%) and exitus (n = 160; 69.3%) patients were evaluated. The mortality group was divided into 3 groups: 30-day mortality (n = 62; 38.8%), 1-year mortality (n = 62; 38.8%), and over-1-year mortality (n = 36; 22.5%). The hemogram, SII, and PNI parameters of the patients were evaluated. Age, some blood count parameters and SII were significantly higher in the exitus group (P < .05). The lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, albumin, and PNI levels were significantly higher in the living group (P < .05). Mortality was significantly predicted by age (B [regression coefficient] = 0.026, P < .05), NLR (neutrophil lymphocyte ratio) (B = -0.065, P < .05), PNI (B = -0.100, P < .01), and SII (B = 0.00000024, P < .01). The predictive values of CAR (C reactive protein albumin ratio), PNI, and SII were 77.3%, 77.0%, and 76.1%, respectively. For CAR of 30.88 cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 79.4% and 64.8%, respectively. For the PNI 22.0143 cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 66.9% and 5.6%, respectively. For the SII 732249.2481 cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.9% and 31.0%, respectively. The predictive value of the PNI was significant for mortality time (B = 0.058; P < .01). The predictive value of PNI for 30-day mortality was significant (AUC (area under curve):0.632; P < .01), whereas its predictive value for 1-year mortality and over-1-year mortality after below-knee amputation was statistically insignificant (P > .05). Both the SII and PNI may be evaluated and used to predict mortality after below-knee amputation. The SII had a significant predictive value for 30-day mortality after below-knee amputation.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Combined with Triglyceride-Glucose Index to Contrast a Nomogram for Predicting Contrast-Induced Kidney Injury in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective

Our objective was to develop and validate a nomogram model aiming at predicting the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and also diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods

The study gathered data from 722 T2DM patients with ACS who received PCI treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between February 2019 and December 2022, serving as the training set. Considering the validation set, the study included 217 patients who received PCI at the East Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University. The patients were classified into CI-AKI and non-CI-AKI groups. The study employed univariate and multivariate logistic analysis for identifying independent risk factors for CI-AKI, followed by developing a predictive nomogram model for CI-AKI risk using R software. The predictive performance and clinical utility of the nomogram were assessed through internal and external validation, utilizing the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration correction curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

The nomogram comprised four variables: age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and prognostic nutritional index (PNI). The AUC-ROC were 0.785 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.729-0.841) and 0.802 (95% CI 0.699-0.905) for the training and validation cohorts, respectively, indicating a high discriminative ability of the nomogram. The calibration assessment and decision curve analysis have substantiated the strong concordance and clinical usefulness of the aforementioned.

Conclusion

The nomogram exhibits favorable discrimination and accuracy, enabling it to visually and individually identify pre-procedure high-risk patients, and possesses a predictive capacity regarding CI-AKI incidence after PCI in patients diagnosed with both T2DM and ACS.

The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI): A New Biomarker for Determining Prognosis in Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Carcinoma

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is calculated using the albumin level reflecting nutritional status and lymphocyte count reflecting immune status, is useful in showing nutritional and immunological status related to survival and prognosis in many cancers. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the biomarker potential and effect of PNI in determining the prognosis of metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). This retrospective observational study included the complete data of 108 patients with mCPSC who were treated for at least three months between 1 January 2010, and 1 June 2021. The relationships between cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and PNI were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method for OS, PFS, and CSS, as well as univariate and multivariate Cox regression models, were used for the statistical analyses. The median age of 108 patients included in the study was 68.54 (61.05-74.19) years. A value of 49.75 was determined to be the best cut-off point for the PNI. OS (months) was found to be significantly lower in patients with low PNI (median: 34.93, 95% CI: 21.52-48.34) than in patients with high PNI (median: 65.60, 95% CI: 39.36-91.83) (p = 0.016). Patients with high PNI (median: 48.20, 95% CI: 34.66-61.73) had significantly better CSS (months) than patients with low PNI (median: 27.86, 95% CI: 24.16-31.57) (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in PFS between patients with high PNI values (median: 24.60, 95% CI: 10.15-39.05) and patients with low PNI values (median: 20.03, 95% CI: 11.06-29.03) (p = 0.092). The PNI is a good predictor of OS and CSS in patients with mCSPC. The prediction of PFS, albeit showing a trend towards significance, was not statistically significant, probably due to the small number of cases.

Identification of prognostic nutritional index as a reliable prognostic indicator for advanced lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been identified as a reliable prognostic factor for cancer adjuvant therapy. However, its prognostic value in lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains inconclusive.

Method

A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was performed based on online databases before March 1th 2023. The correlation of PNI with overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) was determined using the hazard ratios (HRs) coupled with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Then, a retrospective cohort enrolling 123 ICI-treated lung cancer patients from two hospitals was utilized for validation and further investigation.

Results

A total of 14 studies enrolling 1,260 lung cancer patients were included in the meta-analysis. The high PNI level was significantly correlated with better OS (HR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.86-3.54) and PFS (HR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.53-2.40) of the lung cancer patients. The subgroup analysis confirmed the results except for the PFS in patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapy (HR = 1.51, 95% CI = 0.86-2.65). In the retrospective study, the high PNI level was identified as a favorable factor for OS and PFS not only in the whole cohort but also in the subgroups stratified by non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. The high PNI was also correlated with better anti-cancer therapy response and performed better than body mass index and serum albumin level in OS prediction. Finally, we established a novel prognostic nomogram based on PNI and other clinical parameters. The nomogram was found to perform well in predicting the 1-year OS of ICI-treated lung cancer patients.

Conclusion

Both the meta-analysis and retrospective work demonstrate the PNI is a reliable prognostic factor for advanced lung cancer patients receiving ICI-based therapies. Our study further highlights the crucial role of nutrition assessment and intervention in cancer immunotherapy.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42023424146.

Association of prognostic nutritional index level and diabetes status with the prognosis of coronary artery disease: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition and inflammation are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes or coronary artery disease (CAD). Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a comprehensive and simple indicator reflecting nutritional condition and immunological status. Whether there is a crosstalk between nutritional-immunological status and diabetes status for the impact on the prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear.

METHODS

A total of 9429 consecutive CAD patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention were grouped by diabetes status [diabetes (DM) and non-diabetes (non-DM)] and preprocedural PNI level [high PNI (H-PNI) and low PNI (L-PNI)] categorized by the statistically optimal cut-off value of 48.49. The primary endpoint was all-cause death.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 5.1 years (interquartile range: 5.0-5.1 years), 366 patients died. Compared with the non-DM/H-PNI group, the DM/L-PNI group yielded the highest risk of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.97-3.56, p < 0.001), followed by the non-DM/L-PNI group (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.44, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.98, p = 0.026), while DM/H-PNI was not associated with the risk of all-cause death. The negative effect of L-PNI on all-cause death was significantly stronger in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients (p for interaction = 0.037). Preprocedural PNI category significantly improved the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score for predicting all-cause death in patients with acute coronary syndrome, especially in those with diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

CAD patients with diabetes and L-PNI experienced the worst prognosis. The presence of diabetes amplifies the negative effect of L-PNI on all-cause death. Poor nutritional-immunological status outweighs diabetes in increasing the risk of all-cause death in CAD patients. Preprocedural PNI can serve as an assessment tool for nutritional and inflammatory risk and an independent prognostic factor in CAD patients, especially in those with diabetes.

Association of preoperative prognostic nutritional index with risk of postoperative delirium: A systematic review and meta-analysis

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and risk of postoperative delirium (POD) in adult patients.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Google scholar, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases were searched from inception till April 2022. The primary outcome was the association between PNI and the risk of POD, while the secondary outcomes were correlations of other prognostic factors with POD risk. The correlation between PNI and the incidence of POD was assessed with three approaches: Difference in preoperative PNI between POD and non-POD groups (Model 1) as well as the association of PNI as a continuous parameter (Model 2) or as a binary variable (i.e., low vs. high using a PNI cut-off value of 50) (Model 3) with POD risk.

RESULTS

Analysis of nine observational studies published from 2010 to 2021 recruiting 3,743 patients showed a POD incidence of 6.4-35%. Our meta-analysis demonstrated a lower PNI among patients in the POD group (MD: -3.78, 95% CI: -4.85 to -2.71, p < 0.0001, I 2 = 54.2%) compared to the non-POD group (Model 1). Pooled results revealed a negative association between PNI and POD risk for both Model 2 (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.97, p = 0.002, I 2 = 71%) and Model 3 (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.26-2.23, p < 0.0001, I 2 = 0%). Besides, while our results supported an age-dependent increase in POD risk, other factors including body-mass index, surgical time, health status, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and male gender were non-significant predictors of POD.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated a negative association between PNI and POD, which warrant further large-scale studies for validation.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022323809.

An Externally Validated Nomogram for Predicting the Overall Survival of Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Based on Clinical Characteristics and Systemic Inflammatory Markers

Background: Systemic inflammatory indicators are clinically significant in guiding diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) prognosis. However, which inflammatory markers are the best predictors of DLBCL prognosis is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to create a nomogram based on the best inflammatory markers and clinical indicators to predict the overall survival of patients with DLBCL. Patients and methods: We analyzed data from 423 DLBCL patients from two institutions and divided them into a training set, an internal validation set, and an external validation set (n = 228, 97, and 98, respectively). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Cox regression analysis were used to develop nomograms. We assessed model fit using the Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion. The concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the nomogram's predictive performance and clinical net benefit and compared with the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-IPI. Results: The inclusion variables for the nomogram model were age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, lactate dehydrogenase level, the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and β-2 microglobulin (β-2 MG) level. In the training cohort, the nomogram showed better goodness of fit than the IPI and NCCN-IPI. The C-index of the nomogram (0.804, 95% CI: 0.751-0.857) outperformed the IPI (0.690, 95% CI: 0.629-0.751) and NCCN-IPI (0.691, 95% CI: 0.632-0.750). The calibration curve, ROC curve, and DCA curve analysis showed that the nomogram has satisfactory predictive power and clinical utility. Similar results were found in the validation cohort. Conclusion: The nomogram integrated with the clinical characteristics and inflammatory markers is beneficial to predict the prognosis of patients with DLBCL.

Prognostic values of the prognostic nutritional index, geriatric nutritional risk index, and systemic inflammatory indexes in patients with stage IIB-III cervical cancer receiving radiotherapy

Background

Growing evidence suggests that nutritional status and inflammation are associated with survival in various cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), and systemic inflammatory indexes (neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio [NLR], monocyte/lymphocyte ratio [MLR], and platelet/lymphocyte ratio [PLR]) in patients with stage IIB-III cervical cancer receiving radiotherapy.

Results

The ideal cutoff values for the PNI, GNRI, NLR, MLR, and PLR were 48.3, 97.04, 2.8, 0.41, and 186.67, respectively. Low PNI and GNRI scores were associated with poor OS and PFS. High NLR, MLR, and PLR also predicted inferior 5-year OS and PFS rates in patients with stage IIB-III cervical cancer. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified tumor size, histological type, stage, number of metastatic lymph nodes, PNI, GNRI, NLR, PLR, and MLR as significant prognostic factors for OS and PFS.

Conclusions

The current findings suggest that the PNI, GNRI, NLR, PLR, and MLR are essential parameters for predicting prognosis in patients with stage IIB-III cervical cancer receiving radiotherapy.

The geriatric nutritional risk index is an effective tool to detect GLIM-defined malnutrition in rectal cancer patients

Background

This study aimed to investigate the value of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) scores in detecting malnutrition in patients with rectal cancer; the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) was used as the reference criterion.

Materials and methods

This study included patients with rectal cancer who underwent proctectomy. GNRI, PNI, and ALI were calculated to detect the GLIM-defined malnutrition using the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between the nutritional tools and postoperative complications. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank tests, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to clarify the relationship between nutritional tools and overall survival (OS).

Results

This study enrolled 636 patients with rectal cancer. The GNRI demonstrated the highest sensitivity (77.8%), pretty specificity (69.0%), and the largest AUC (0.734). The GNRI showed good property in predicting major postoperative complications. All three nutritional tools were independent predictors of OS.

Conclusion

The GNRI can be used as a promising alternative to the GLIM and is optimal in perioperative management of patients with rectal cancer.

Association between Nutritional Status and Treatment Response and Survival in Patients Treated with Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer: A Retrospective French Study

Simple Summary

It is estimated that 73% of advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) will become malnourished and develop cachexia which is considered as an independent prognostic factor. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between nutritional assessments and (i) immunotherapy efficacy, (ii) tolerance, and (iii) survival in patients with an advanced NSCLC stage of lung cancer treated with immunotherapy. In total, 67% of the 120 patients analysed were not malnourished, 20% presented with moderate malnutrition, and 13% presented with severe malnutrition. There was no significant link between the nutritional status and the toxicity of immunotherapy. However, severe malnutrition was significantly associated with treatment efficacy and with a lower survival rate. Malnutrition appears to have a negative impact in the case of immunotherapy, in contrast to a high body mass index, which seems to be protective. In addition to confirming the benefits of early and appropriate nutritional management, research must also focus on catabolism and the uncontrolled inflammatory mechanisms.

Abstract

Malnutrition is associated with a greater risk of morbidity and mortality and lower tolerance to chemotherapy. Our purpose was to study the association between nutritional status and the efficiency and tolerance of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nutritional and oncological data were reported at 2 months (M2) and 4 months (M4) after the initiation of immunotherapy (M0). The influence of nutritional status at M0 was estimated with the efficacy and toxicity of immunotherapy at M2 to M4. In total, 127 patients were included in the study, and nutritional status was estimated at M0 for 120 patients: 67% were not malnourished, 20% presented with moderate malnutrition, and 13% presented with severe malnutrition. There was no significant link between the nutritional status at M0 and the toxicity of immunotherapy at M2 and M4. However, severe malnutrition was significantly associated with treatment efficacy at M2 (p = 0.04) and with a lower survival rate with an HR (Hazard Ratio) = 2.32–95% C.I: 1.13–4.75 (p = 0.02). Furthermore, a monthly decrease of 1% of the weight had an HR = 1.17–95% C.I: 1.13–1.21 (p = 0.0001). Severe malnutrition and weight loss are independent factors associated with lower survival. Studies integrating the systemic detection of sarcopenia with a closer nutritional follow-up could highlight an improvement in survival.

CONUT Score: A New Tool for Predicting Prognosis in Patients with Advanced Thyroid Cancer Treated with TKI

Simple Summary

Many studies have shown that an impaired nutritional status correlated with a worse prognosis in cancer patients. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the potential role of baseline Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT score) in predicting prognosis of advanced thyroid cancer treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). We were able to confirm that baseline CONUT score significantly correlated with progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and was the only independent prognostic factor for both outcomes. In particular, a CONUT score ≥3 was associated with a worse PFS and OS. The CONUT score represents a relatively new screening tool that is useful in predicting prognosis in thyroid cancer patients before the beginning of anti-tumoral treatment.

Abstract

(1) Background: The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an immuno-nutritional screening tool based on serum albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocyte count. The aim of the study was to assess the CONUT score as a potential prognostic factor of response to therapy in patients with advanced thyroid cancer treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). (2) Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 42 metastatic thyroid cancer patients (54.8% female). The median age at the time of TKI treatment was 69 years. Histological diagnosis was differentiated thyroid cancer in 66.7%, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer in 21.4%, and medullary thyroid cancer in 11.9% of patients. CONUT score was assessed before starting TKI therapy. (3) Results: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly influenced by baseline CONUT score. The best CONUT cut-off able to predict the response to treatment was 3. Both PFS and OS were better in patients with CONUT score <3 than in those with CONUT score ≥3 (p < 0.0001). CONUT score was the only independent prognostic factor associated with PFS (p = 0.021) and OS (p = 0.007). (4) Conclusions: CONUT score represents a relatively new screening tool, easily applicable in clinical practice and potentially useful in predicting prognosis in thyroid cancer patients treated with TKIs.