title: A peripheral blood biomarker estimates probability of survival: the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in noncancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflammatory biomarkers are associated with aging and disease-specific outcomes. We propose neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) informs survival in a noncancer-bearing population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study of patients with a noncancer diagnosis. Calculation of NLR, ascertainment of age, gender, race, cardiovascular disease and diabetes status, and association with survival was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated NLR was associated with worse overall survival, independent of age, gender and comorbid status. Overall survival was significantly worse for patients with high versus low NLR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated NLR is associated with worse overall survival in noncancer patients. It remains unclear whether NLR reflects an acute inflammatory state, depressed host immune competence or both. NLR may simply be another predictor of survival, or potentially a modifiable risk factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Jeremy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Vitor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moutinho
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Panageas
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Coit
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: biomarker; inflammation; neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio; noncancer; outcomes