Pleural Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio May Be Associated With Early Disease Progression in Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Predictive Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Myocarditis Among Patients Treated for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background

The predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in various tumors remains uncertain despite its use in forecasting the effectiveness of immunotherapy. The purpose of our research was to determine the prognostic significance of NLR for immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myocarditis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods

We enrolled and monitored patients with NSCLC who received ICI therapy at the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 1, 2018, and February 20, 2021. NLR was determined before and soon after each cycle of ICIs. All participants in this study were periodically examined for troponin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and an electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography were done. Cox's proportional hazards regression model and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were used to assess the predictive value for ICI-related myocarditis.

Results

A total of 146 patients received ICI treatment and completed a follow-up. Of these, 17 patients (11.64%) developed ICI-related myocarditis that met the diagnostic criteria. The initial cycle revealed that the NLR was a reliable predictor of potential myocarditis related to ICIs, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.833 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.721-0.945. Following the initial round of ICI treatment, an NLR elevation (NLR ≥ 3.25) appeared to be the most significant standalone indicator of ICI-related myocarditis (HR: 11.094; 95% CI: 3.186-38.631; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our study confirmed that NLR elevation in the early phase after ICI treatment of NSCLC is a reliable predictive factor of ICI-related myocarditis. Regular and frequent cardiac monitoring may help to avoid the occurrence of severe and fatal cases.

Development a predictive nomogram for spontaneous pleurodesis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and malignant pleural effusion

Background

Indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) insertion is associated with fewer subsequent procedures and higher rates of spontaneous pleurodesis (SP) in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). However, long-term pleural drains may cause psychological and physical distress. Additionally, only a portion of patients can benefit from IPC insertion and ultimately have them removed. The nomogram reflects the influence of different factors on outcome visually, enabling clinics to assess the optimal population. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop and validate a novel nomogram to predict successful SP in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with MPE treated with IPC.

Methods

We reviewed data on the use of IPC insertion for MPE in patients with NSCLC and allocated them randomly to development (60%) and validation (40%) sets. A static and dynamic nomogram was developed based on multivariate logistic regression to evaluate SP occurrence in the development set. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and Nelson-Aalen cumulative risk curves were used to validate the predictive accuracy of the nomogram.

Results

In total, 331 patients (development set: n=199; validation set: n=132) were selected for this study. Medical thoracoscopy, septated effusion, and effusion volume were the strongest predictors of SP. Other predictors included gender, systemic treatment, and serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. The prediction nomogram was demonstrated good predictive ability in the development and validation sets (area under the curve: 0.745 and 0.720, respectively). The DCA indicated that the model had a certain clinical application value. Nelson-Aalen cumulative risk curves showed that the more favorable group received successful SP than did the less favorable group (P<0.001).

Conclusions

We developed an accurate and practicable nomogram for successfully predicting SP. These results may benefit clinicians in optimizing treatment decisions, improving the probability of SP, and relieving the long-term discomfort caused by IPC.

Comparison of five scores to predict mortality in malignant pleural effusion

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a complication of malignancy. Treatment of MPE is based on predicted outcome. The aim of this study was to compare the performance characteristics of LENT, PROMISE, RECLS, AL and pNLR scores for prediction of mortality in lung cancer patients who have MPE. Patients who were diagnosed with MPE that was associated with underlying lung cancer between January 2010 and December 2019 were included and analyzed retrospectively in a single center. Outcomes considered were 30-day, 6 months, and 1-year mortality. A total of 180 patients were examined. For 30-day mortality, the areas under the ROC curves (AUC) (95% CI) were: LENT 0.83 (0.76-0.87), RECLS 0.71 (0.63-0.77), and PROMISE 0.70 (0.17-0.38). For 6-month and 1-year mortality the order of these AUCs was similar. Cox regression showed that none of the scores were significantly associated with 30-day mortality, but LENT and RECLS were significantly associated with 6-month and 1-year mortality. Comparison of - 2log likelihood ratios showed that LENT score was more, strongly associated with 6-month mortality than PROMISE (p = 0.001) or RECLS (p = 0.02). LENT score was also more strongly associated with 1-year mortality than PROMISE (p = 0.001) but there was no difference between LENT and RECLS score (p = 0.64). We observed that the LENT score was more predictive than the other scores in mortality in patients who have lung cancer and MPE. The LENT and RECLS scores have similar performance characteristics for prediction of 1-year mortality in these patients.

A Preliminary Study on the Prognostic Impact of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio of the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid in Patients with Lung Cancer

The cumulative results indicate that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio of peripheral blood (pbNLR) is a useful prognostic factor in patients with various cancers. In contrast to peripheral blood, the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is in direct contact with the lung lesion. However, no study has reported on the clinical utility of the NLR of BAL fluid (bNLR) for patients with lung cancer. To investigate the clinical utility of the bNLR as a prognostic factor in patients with lung cancer, we conducted a retrospective review of the prospectively collected data. A total of 45 patients were classified into high bNLR (n = 29) and low bNLR (n = 16) groups. A high pbNLR and high bNLR were associated with a shorter overall survival (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). A multivariable analysis confirmed that ECOG PS (p = 0.023), M stage (p = 0.035), pbNLR (p = 0.008), and bNLR (p = 0.0160) were independent predictors of overall survival. Similar to the pbNLR, a high bNLR value was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. Although further studies are required to apply our results clinically, this is the first study to show the clinical value of the bNLR in patients with lung cancer.

Predictability of early changes in derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background

As association between systemic inflammation and disease progression has been suggested, early changes in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and derived NLR (dNLR) may have accurate predictability for prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with ICI therapy.

Methods

Complete blood count (CBC) was measured immediately before the first and second cycles of ICI therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Differences in NLR and dNLR were measured. When the increase in NLR was ≥1, the patient was classified into the increased NLR group. Similarly, when the increase in dNLR was ≥1, the patient was classified into the increased dNLR group; otherwise, they were classified into the non-increased NLR or dNLR group.

Results

A total of 89 patients was selected for evaluation. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly shorter in the increased NLR group than in the non-increased NLR group (2.6 vs. 9.5 months, P<0.001). The increased dNLR group showed significantly shorter median PFS than the non-increased dNLR group (4.2 vs. 9.2 months, P=0.001). Association with PFS was analyzed using the Cox regression model. In model 1, increase ≥1 in NLR showed significant association (HR =3.085, 95% CI, 1.657–5.742, P<0.001). In model 2, increase ≥1 in dNLR showed significant association (HR =2.826, 95% CI, 1.436–5.561, P=0.003).

Conclusions

Early changes in dNLR were shown to have prognostic value in patients undergoing immunotherapy. It can be an accurate and a comprehensive biomarker for predicting ICI response.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in malignant pleural fluid: Prognostic significance

Predicting survival of patients with malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) is notoriously difficult. A robust prognostic marker can guide clinical decision making. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in blood has been shown to predict survival in many cancers. Pleural fluid bathes the malignant pleural tissues, thus the NLR of the pleural fluid may reflect more closely the local tumour environment. The objective of this study was to explore the prognostic significance of pleural effusion NLR for MPE. We analysed matched effusion and blood from 117 patients with malignant and 24 with benign pleural effusions. Those who had received recent chemotherapy or had a pleurodesis were excluded. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in effusions were performed by manual review of cytospin cell preparations by trained observers. Clinical data were extracted from a state-wide hospital database. We found significantly fewer neutrophils (expressed as percentage of total leukocyte count) in pleural fluid than in corresponding blood (9% vs 73%; p<0.001). The NLR was an order of magnitude lower in pleural fluid than in corresponding blood: median [IQR] = 0.20 [0.04-1.18] vs 4.9 [3.0-8.3], p<0.001. Correlation between blood and pleural fluid NLR in MPE patients was moderate (rs = 0.321, p<0.001). In univariate analysis, NLR (>0.745)) in malignant pleural fluid was predictive of poorer survival (HR = 1.698 [1.0054-2.736]; p = 0.030), and remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, presence of a chest drain, cancer type, concurrent infection and subsequent treatment with chemotherapy (HR = 1.786 [1.089-2.928]; p = 0.022). Patients with pleural fluid NLR > 0.745 had a significantly shorter median survival of 130 (95% CI 0-282) days compared to 312 (95% CI 195-428) days for pleural NLR < 0.745, p = 0.026. The NLR in blood was also predictive of poorer survival in MPE patients (HR = 1.959 [1.019-3.096]; p<0.001). The proportion of neutrophils in pleural fluid was predictive of prognosis more strongly than lymphocytes. This study provides evidence that NLR in malignant effusions can predict survival, and therefore may provide prognostic information for this cohort. This prognostic association in the fluid is driven by the presence of neutrophils.