Inflammation-based prognostic scores, such as the glasgow prognostic score (GPS), prognostic index (PI), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were related to survival in many solid tumors. Recent study showed that GPS can be used to predict outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, other inflammation related scores had not been reported and it also remained unknown which of them was the most useful to evaluate the survival in DLBCLs. In this retrospective study, a number of 252 newly diagnosed and histologically proven DLBCLs from January 2003 to December 2014 were included. The high GPS, high PI, high NLR, high PLR and low PNI were all associated with poor overall survival (p < 0.05) and event-free survival (p < 0.05) in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis indicated that GPS (HR = 1.781, 95% CI = 1.065–2.979, p = 0.028) remained an independent prognostic predictor in DLBCL. The c-index of GPS (0.735, 95% CI = 0.645–0.824) was greater than that of PI (0.710, 95% CI = 0.621–0.799, p = 0.602), PNI (0.600, 95% CI = 0.517–0.683, p = 0.001), PLR (0.599, 95% CI = 0.510–0.689, p = 0.029) and NLR (0.572, 95% CI = 0.503–0.642, p = 0.005) by Harrell's concordance index. Especially in DLBCLs treated with R-CHOP, GPS still remained the most powerful prognostic score when comparing with others (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively for OS and EFS). In conclusion, it is indicated that inflammation-based prognostic scores such as GPS, PI, NLR, PNI and PLR all could be used to predict the outcome of DLBCLs. Among them, GPS is the most powerful indicator in predicting survival in DLBCLs, even in the rituximab era.

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI), based on serum albumin concentration and the absolute peripheral lymphocyte count, has been used to predict survival in various tumors. Whether PNI can predict prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains unknown. We retrospectively analyzed 253 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL in the present study. The PNI was calculated as: albumin (g/L) + 5 × total lymphocyte count × 10(9)/L. All patients were divided in low and high groups according to the analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Low PNI was associated with more unfavorable clinical features (p < 0.05). Patients with low PNI tended to have worse event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) (EFS, p = 0.001; OS, p < 0.001). For patients treated with R-CHOP, PNI proved to be predictive for survival (EFS, p = 0.001; OS, p < 0.001), while no significant effect was found in DLBCL patients who received CHOP chemotherapy (EFS, p = 0.496; OS, p = 0.125). Multivariate analysis showed that low PNI is an independent adverse predictor of OS and EFS, especially in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP. In conclusion, this study suggests that PNI is an effective prognostic factor in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP.

Inflammation-based prognostic scores, such as the glasgow prognostic score (GPS), prognostic index(PI), prognostic nutritional index(PNI), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio(NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio(PLR) was related to survival in many solid tumors. Recent study showed that GPS can be used to predict outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL). However other inflammation related scores had not been reported in DLBCL, and it also remained unknown which of them was more useful to evaluate the survival in DLBCL. In this retrospective study, a number of 252 newly diagnosed and histologically proven DLBCL patients from January 2003 to December 2014 were included. An elevated GPS, PI, NLR, PNI and PLR were all associated with decreased overall survival(p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.006, p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively) and event-free survival (p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.011, p=0.001 and p=0.009, respectively) in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis indicated that GPS(RR=1.768, 95%CI=1.043-3.000, p =0.034) remained an independent prognostic predictor in DLBCL. The area under the curve of GPS (0.735, 95%CI=0.645-0.824) was greater than that of PI(0.710, 95%CI=0.621-0.799), PNI(0.600, 95%CI=0.517-0.683), NLR(0.572, 95%CI=0.503-0.642), and PLR(0.599, 95%CI=0.510-0.689) by Harrell's C-statistics. Especially in the DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP, GPS also remained the most powerful inflammation-based prognostic score when comparing with PI, NLR, PNI and PLR (p=0.004, p=0.000, respectively for OS and EFS). In conclusion, these results indicate that Inflammation-based prognostic scores such as GPS, PI, NLR, PNI and PLR can be used to evaluate the outcome in DLBCL patients. Among them, GPS is the most powerful tool in predicting survival in DLBCL patients, even in the rituximab era. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.