Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predicts mast cell tumor grade in dogs
By Macfarlane, M J et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2016·University of Glasgow, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio for predicting histopathological grade of canine mast cell tumours.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a mast cell tumor (a type of skin tumor) may have varying outcomes based on the tumor's grade. Researchers found that measuring the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the dog's blood can help predict whether the tumor is high-grade or low-grade. In their study, they discovered that a higher NLR was linked to a greater risk of high-grade tumors. This information could assist veterinarians in making treatment decisions before a definitive diagnosis is made. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and improve how we assess these tumors in dogs.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · high-grade mast cell tumor in dogs · neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in dogs
Abstract
Canine mast cell tumours (MCTs) are variable in their biological behaviour and treatment decisions depend heavily on the histopathological grade. Biomarkers such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and albumin to globulin ratio are used to predict the biological behaviour of human neoplasms, but have not been widely studied in dogs. A retrospective analysis identified 62 cases of gross MCT (14 high-grade, 48 low-grade tumours). Median NLR was significantly different between high- and low-grade MCT and tumours at different locations. A multivariable model identified increasing NLR (OR 2.0) and age (OR 1.7) to be associated with an increased risk of high-grade MCT. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified an NLR threshold value of 5.67 (sensitivity 85.7 per cent; specificity 54.2 per cent) for predicting a high-grade MCT. An NLR threshold of 5.67 could be useful alongside existing tools (appearance, location, etc.) to help to predict the grade of MCT. With further validation, this biomarker could be used to guide clinical decisions before obtaining a histopathological diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27650464/