Correlation Between NLR Combined with PLR Score and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation

Background: This investigation evaluated the prognostic significance of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and introduced a combined NLR-PLR score to evaluate the correlation between NLR-PLR score and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. Material/Methods: We enrolled 110 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (LT) for HCC. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were assessed, and appropriate cut-off values were established. The NLR-PLR score ranged from 0 to 2 as follows: score of 2, high NLR (≥ 3.37) and high PLR (≥ 105.96); score of 1, either high NLR or high PLR; score of 0, neither high NLR nor high PLR. Results: The median overall survival (OS) of patients with NLR-PLR score of 0, 1 and 2 was 27, 26.5, and 6 months, respectively. The median OS of patients with NLR-PLR score of 2 was shorter than those with 0 ( P < 0.001) and 1 ( P < 0.001). The median disease-free survival (DFS) time of patients with NLR-PLR score of 0, 1 and 2 was 24.5, 24, and 6 months, The median DFS of patients with NLR-PLR score of 2 was shorter than those with 0 ( P = 0.001) and 1 ( P = 0.015). Multivariate analysis showed that NLR-PLR score was an independent risk factor for prognosis and survival. Conclusion: NLR, PLR and NLR-PLR score can predict the long-term survival of patients, and NLR-PLR score, having more predictive value than NLR and PLR alone is an independent risk factor for patient survival. more predictive value than NLR and PLR alone.