The predictive value of integrated inflammation scores on survival of patients with resected hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background Evidence supports the predictive potential of inflammatory marker-derived scores (inflammation scores) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no study has longitudinally assessed the predictive values of inflammation scores combined with hepatitis B virus status on survival of these patients. Therefore, a study was designed to evaluate the prognostic capacity of preoperative, dynamic changes in integrated scores, through a combination of general inflammation scores and HBV infection status, on HCC patients undergoing tumor resection. Methods The clinicopathological data of 247 patients with primary HCC who underwent liver resection were collected. Inflammation-related laboratory examinations were performed 1 week before operation, and 1 week, 1 month, 3months, and 6months after operation. The prognostic values of preoperative and dynamic changes in integrated inflammation scores were studied using the Cox regression models. Results Elevated preoperative integrated inflammation scores, including co- Glasgow prognostic score (coGPS), co-modified Glasgow prognostic score (comGPS), co-C reactive protein to albumin ratio (coCRP/ALB), co-prognostic index (coPI), co-neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(coNLR), co-lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (coLMR), coNLR-PLR and coCRP/ALB-PLR, were associated with decreased overall survival (OS). Dynamic changes in coGPS, comGPS, coCRP/ALB, coPI, coPLR, coNLR, coSII, coNLR-PLR, and coCRP/ALB-PLR were independent prognostic factors of OS. coCRP/ALB-PLR was significantly associated with disease free survival. Conclusions Preoperative and dynamic changes in integrated inflammation scores, particularly for coCRP/ALB-PLR were important and stable prognostic markers in HCC.