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Review
. 2020 Apr 29:12:2961-2977.
doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S245928. eCollection 2020.

The Neutrophil to Lymphocyte and Lymphocyte to Monocyte Ratios as New Prognostic Factors in Hematological Malignancies - A Narrative Review

Paulina Stefaniuk  1 , Agnieszka Szymczyk  2 , Monika Podhorecka  1
Affiliations
Review

The Neutrophil to Lymphocyte and Lymphocyte to Monocyte Ratios as New Prognostic Factors in Hematological Malignancies - A Narrative Review

Paulina Stefaniuk et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

Despite the presence of many hematological prognostic indexes, clinical course and overall survival are often highly variable even within the same patient subgroup. Recent studies suggest that simple, cost-effective, low-risk tests such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) may be used to evaluate the prognosis. Their role has been well confirmed in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and multiple myeloma (MM), but until now the prognostic significance of NLR and LMR in leukemias has not been widely reported. In this article, we analyze the literature data on prognostic value of NLR and LMR in haematological malignancies in the context of classic prognostic factors and clinical course.

Keywords: Hodgkin lymphoma; lymphocyte to monocyte ratio; multiple myeloma; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio; non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A schematic model showing lymphocytes involvement in tumor pathogenesis. T CD8+ cells produce IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL17, what stimulates antitumor effect. CD4+ T: enhance the production of antibodies by neighboring B cells, activate macrophages, recruit neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and stimulate the production of cytokines and chemokines production. T regulatory cells suppress antitumor immunity by suppression of other CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations. The figure is the authors' interpretation based on references.,,
Figure 2
Figure 2
Macrophages involvement in tumor pathogenesis. There are two types of macrophages activation: M1 and M2 activation. M1 activation is stimulated by lipopolysaccharide and IFN-γ. M1 macrophages infiltrate the tumor microenvironment and release factors, which promote the differentiation of T and NK cells. M1 macrophages present antitumorigenic effect. M2 activation is stimulated by IL-4 and IL-13. M2 macrophages present pro-tumourigenic effect. M2 macrophages can differentiate into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which stimulate tumor cells proliferation, migration and genetic instability and promote angiogenesis and lymphoangiogenesis. The figure is the authors' interpretation based on references.,
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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