Inflammation-based Prognostic Score in Patients with Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Inflammation-besed prognostic score including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) have prognostic value in various malignancies. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively investigated their prognostic value in 213 patients with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Disease-free survival (DFS) following LDLT was calculated; NLR, PLR, PNI and mGPS values in patients with and without recurrence were compared. Risk factors for HCC recurrence were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Both NLR and PLR were significantly increased in patients with recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) >= 300 mAU/ml, NLR >= 2.66, <3 months between last HCC treatment to LDLT were independent predictors of DFS. Conclusion: Preoperative NLR was an independent, inflammation-based prognostic marker of DFS and was predictive of recurrence following LDLT.