PNI, NLR and PLR combined detection prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis complicated by T2DM

Introduction: The prognostic nutrition index (PNI), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been studied widely in the context of cancer; however, their correlation with chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis complicated by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is unknown.

Aim: To investigate the correlation of the PNI, NLR, and PLR with chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis complicated by T2DM.

Methodology: We investigated 226 patients, comprising 56 patients with chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis complicated by T2DM mellitus (group A), 85 patients with chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis (group B), and 85 patients with T2DM (group C). The baseline data of all patients were analyzed.

Results: A comparison of baseline data among the three groups showed significant differences in age (p = 0.008). The levels of PNI were different among the three groups (p < 0.01). The NLR, PNI, and PLR were significantly different between the good and poor prognosis groups (p < 0.05). The AUC for the combined determination of PNI, NLR, and PLR, showed excellent diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.911, 95% CI 0.741-0.985, sensitivity = 80.00 %, and specificity = 88.89%).

Conclusions: The PNI, NLR, and PLR were closely related to the prognosis of chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis complicated by T2DM, and their combined detection had the highest specificity and sensitivity for the early prediction of the poor prognosis of chronic hepatitis C-associated cirrhosis complicated by T2DM, which has important clinical value.