Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells combined with neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 3 The correlation between circulating tumor cell-neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio score and clinical baseline characteristics in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Variable	CTC-NLR			P value
	Score 0, n = 54	Score 1, n=27	Score 2, n = 43
Sex				0.005
Male	51	20	41
Female	3	7	2
Age (yr)				0.993
< 60	32	16	25
≥ 60	22	11	18
HBV				0.577
Negative	25	13	16
Positive	29	14	27
Smoke				0.152
Negative	28	17	17
Positive	26	10	26
Alcohol				0.022
Negative	31	21	19
Positive	23	6	24
Hypertension				0.451
Negative	42	18	34
Positive	12	9	9
Diabetes mellitus				0.811
Negative	47	24	36
Positive	7	3	7
Liver cirrhosis				0.007
Negative	39	20	19
Positive	15	7	24
Child–Pugh class				0.693
A	28	16	21
B	26	11	22
BCLC stage				0.685
B	5	2	2
C	49	25	41
ALBI grade				0.630
1	30	15	19
2	23	11	21
3	1	1	3
Serum AFP, ng/mL				0.097
< 400	38	16	21
≥ 400	16	11	22
Number of tumors				0.407
< 2	16	6	16
≥ 2	38	21	27
Tumor diameter, cm				0.915
< 5	21	10	18
≥ 5	33	17	25
PVTT				0.269
Negative	34	15	20
Positive	20	12	23
Lymph node metastasis				0.215
Negative	18	13	12
Positive	36	14	31
Extrahepatic metastases				0.493
Negative	38	16	31
Positive	16	11	12

HBV: Hepatitis B virus; BCLC: Barcelona clinic liver cancer; ALBI: Albumin-bilirubin; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; PVTT: Portal vein tumor thrombus; NLR: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; CTC: Circulating tumor cell.