Abstract

Systemic inflammation is present during and serves as a diagnostic tool for cancer-associated cachexia and is detrimental to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in non-cancer conditions. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a desirable measure of systemic inflammation because it is easily calculated from a routine complete blood cell count with differentials. We sought to determine if an elevation in the NLR associates with greater weight loss, cachexia, and lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in patients with advanced cancer. Advanced colon, lung, and prostate cancer patients (stages III/IV; n = 50) were retrospectively studied and separated into one of two groups: 1) Above (n = 25) or 2) Below (n = 25) the median NLR of 3.15 determined at diagnosis. Around the time of diagnosis, serum 25(OH)D and body weight were assessed, while body weight was assessed again at a later date. Weight loss and cachexia were significantly (both p < 0.05) greater and there was a trend (p < 0.10) for lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations in the Above group. We conclude that an elevation in the NLR associates with greater weight loss and cachexia, and potentially, a lower serum 25(OH)D concentration in patients with advanced colon, lung, or prostate cancer.

Details

Title
An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio associates with weight loss and cachexia in cancer
Author
Barker, Tyler 1 ; Fulde, Gail 2 ; Moulton, Bryce 2 ; Nadauld, Lincoln D 3 ; Rhodes, Terence 2 

 Precision Genomics, Intermountain Healthcare, St. George, USA (GRID:grid.420884.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0460 774X); Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA (GRID:grid.223827.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2193 0096) 
 Precision Genomics, Intermountain Healthcare, St. George, USA (GRID:grid.420884.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0460 774X) 
 Precision Genomics, Intermountain Healthcare, St. George, USA (GRID:grid.420884.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0460 774X); School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA (GRID:grid.168010.e) (ISNI:0000000419368956) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2398569218
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.