Systemic inflammatory markers as independent prognosticators of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of the pretreatment inflammatory markers platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with HNSCC at McGill University Health Center from 2000 to 2011 (273 patients were retained). Hematologic parameters were recorded within 4 weeks of diagnosis.

Severe hemodilutional anemia increases cerebral tissue injury following acute neurotrauma.

Anemia may worsen neurological outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI) by undefined mechanisms. We hypothesized that hemodilutional anemia accentuates hypoxic cerebral injury following TBI. Anesthetized rats underwent unilateral TBI or sham injury (n > or = 7).