title: Lymphocyte to monocyte ratio and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio are superior inflammation-based predictors of recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate which inflammation-based marker more accurately predict recurrence in patients receiving hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1020 patients was included. The impacts of clinical variables and inflammation-based markers on disease-free survival (DFS) were measured by Kaplan-Meier method. Selected potential prognostic factors were further analyzed in multivariate model. To reduce influences of selection bias and possible confounders, clinical characteristics of patients were balanced by propensity score matching (PSM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1020 patients, 881 (86.4%) were male and 323 (31.7%) received major hepatectomy. In multivariate analysis, cirrhosis (HR: 1.49), tumor size (HR: 1.32), tumor number (HR: 1.57), portal vein tumor thrombus (HR: 1.66), microvascular invasion (HR: 1.60), histological grade (HR: 1.82), operation time (HR: 1.50), alpha foetal protein (HR: 1.29), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR: 1.38), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) (HR: 1.51) were independently predictive of DFS. After PSM, 258 and 213 pairs of patients were generated for LMR and NLR, respectively. LMR and NLR were still independent predictors of recurrence for HCC patients receiving hepatectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both LMR and NLR might be preferable independent prognostic factors for DFS in HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China.|Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tianbo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China.|Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China.|Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Kangye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China.|Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiazhou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China.|Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China.|Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yinnong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; inflammation-based marker; propensity score matching; recurrence