First day postoperative values of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and C-reactive protein as complication predictors following gastric oncologic surgery.

INTRODUCTION

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) level are simple laboratory test parameters that can provide us with information on the inflammatory status of the organism. CRP has been shown to be a predictor of postoperative complications, whereas NLR and PLR have shown greater usefulness in the prognosis of oncologic pathologies.

AIM

To evaluate the associations of NLR and PLR with postoperative complications following gastric oncologic surgery and compare them with CRP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective study was conducted on 66 patients that underwent oncologic gastric surgery, within the time frame of January 2014 and March 2019. The variables analyzed were sociodemographic data, surgical technique, tumor extension, and NLR, PLR, and CRP levels from the first day after surgery, as well as postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Seventeen patients (25.8%) presented with grade III-V complications, utilizing the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Mean NLR value was 11.30 and was associated with the appearance of major complications, with statistical significance (p = 0.009). Mean PLR was 266.05 and was not significantly associated with complications (p = 0.149). Fifty-four patients had a mean CRP level of 143.24 and it was not related to the appearance of major complications (p = 0.164).

CONCLUSIONS

The NLR is a simple and inexpensive parameter, which measured on postoperative day one, predicted the appearance of major postoperative complications in our study sample and appears to be a better predictive parameter than CRP for said complications. Further studies to confirm that trend need to be carried out.