Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30166942›Full record

ArticleCancer cell international2018

Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients: an updated dose-response meta-analysis.

Shidai Mu, Lisha Ai, Fengjuan Fan, You Qin, Chunyan Sun, Yu Hu

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In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cell international, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  9. The Role of Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in Predicting Early Treatment Response in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.Indian journal of hematology & blood transfusion : an official journal of Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shidai Mu *1Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China.
Lisha Ai *1Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China.
Fengjuan Fan1Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China.
You Qin2Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China.
Chunyan Sun1Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China.
Yu Hu1Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022 China.ORCID 0000-0002-2815-4568

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a biomarker for systematic inflammation, has been recently identified as a prognostic factor for various types of both solid and hematologic malignancies. Here we conducted an updated dose-response meta-analysis to investigate whether NLR can be served as a prognostic biomarker in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science and CNKI for relevant studies. Odds ratios or hazards ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to estimate the association between NLR and clinicopathological parameters or survival of cancer patients.

resultsEleven trials with 2515 DLBCL patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that elevated pretreatment NLR was significantly associated with elder age, advanced Ann Arbor stage, higher incidence rate of B symptoms and bone marrow involvement, and higher lactate dehydrogenase level, etc. Moreover, increased NLR also predicted poorer overall survival (HR 1.826, 95% CI 1.238-2.692) and progression-free survival/event-free survival (PFS/EFS) (HR 1.591, 95% CI 1.124-2.252). And two-stage dose-response meta-analysis revealed non-linear association between increased NLR and risk of mortality in DLBCL patients.

conclusionDLBCL patients with higher NLR are more likely to have poorer prognosis than those with lower NLR.

Indexed as

Diffuse large B cell lymphomaMeta-analysisNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratioPrognosis

Identifiers

PMID30166942
PMCPMC6103859

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.