Preoperative neutrophil:lymphocyte and platelet:lymphocyte ratios predict endometrial cancer survival.

Background: Variations in systemic inflammatory response biomarker levels have been associated with adverse clinical outcome in various malignancies. This study determined the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil:lymphocyte (NLR), platelet:lymphocyte (PLR) and monocyte:lymphocyte (MLR) ratios in endometrial cancer.

Methods: Clinicopathological and 5-year follow-up data were obtained for a retrospective series of surgically treated endometrial cancer patients (n=605).

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is an inappropriate housekeeping gene for normalising gene expression in sepsis.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has long been used as a default reference gene in quantitative mRNA profiling experiments. However, its expression reportedly varies in response to a range of pathophysiological variables (inflammation, oxidative stress, hyperinsulinaemia, hypoxia) which feature prominently in sepsis. We therefore assessed the applicability of using GAPDH as a reference gene for expression studies in sepsis compared to other housekeeping genes (succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit A (SDHA), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT)-1).

Efficacy of taurolidine on the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections in patients on home parenteral nutrition.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of taurolidine (TauroLockTM) line locks on the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) in patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPN).

Methods: In our unit, any patient with ≥2 CRBSIs in six months is considered for TauroLockTM (2% taurolidine and 4% citrate) line locks. All such patients from May 2007 until January 2012 were identified, along with associated CRBSI rates.

An elevated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio independently predicts mortality in chronic critical limb ischemia.

Background: Atherogenesis represents an active inflammatory process with leucocytes playing a major role. An elevated white blood cell count has been shown to be predictive of death in coronary artery disease patients. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive ability of neutrophil count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio for predicting survival in patients with critical lower limb ischemia (CLI).