Globulin and albumin to globulin ratio precisely diagnose periprosthetic joint infection and determine the timing of second-stage reimplantation

Background Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most challenging complications of total joint arthroplasty (TJI). An early and accurate diagnosis of PJI is associated with better treatment outcomes. However, whether the platelet-related markers and globulin-related markers can be used to assist the diagnosis of PJI remains elusive. Methods A total of 206 patients who underwent revision hip or knee arthroplasty in our institution were divided into two groups: 79 patients in PJI group and 127 patients in aseptic failure group. The levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet-related markers including platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT) and PLT to MPV ratio (PMR) and globulin-related markers such as globulin (GLB), albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) and PLT to AGR ratio were compared. The diagnostic value was measured using area under the curve (AUC) after constructing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The potential of each marker for determining the timing of second-staged reimplantation was also evaluated. Results Significantly increased levels of ESR, CRP, PLT, PCT, PMR, GLB and PLT to AGR ratio were identified in PJI group, while decreased levels of MPV and AGR were also found. The diagnostic values of all platelet-related markers and GLB were considered as fair, and good diagnostic values of AGR and PLT to AGR ratio were found, which were comparable to those of ESR and CRP. The levels of GLB and AGR can also be used to predict negative culture result and the timing of second-stage reimplantation. Conclusions Globulin and albumin to globulin ratio were found to have good diagnostic values for PJI, and they can precisely predict the culture results and persistent infection.

The role of albumin-to-globulin ratio in undifferentiated arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis versus primary Sjögren syndrome

Objectives: This study aims to compare initial albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) presenting with undifferentiated arthritis (UA) and to investigate whether there was a difference in terms of AGR between the two patient groups and healthy controls. Patients and methods: Between January 2019 and December 2019, a total of 177 patients including 96 RA (10 males, 86 females; mean age: 53.6±10.8 years; range, 21 to 74 years) and 81 pSS (5 males, 76 females; mean age: 53.2±14.1 years; range, 23 to 79 years) and 82 healthy controls (20 males, 62 females; mean age: 50.5±13.6 years; range, 20 to 79 years) were included in this case-control study. Demographic characteristics, albumin, and globulin levels of all participants were recorded. The AGR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) were assessed. Results: The mean AGR was 1.50±0.16 in the control group, 1.48±0.24 in the RA group, and 1.30±0.23 in the pSS group, indicating a significant difference between the pSS and the other two groups (p<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the cut-off value for AGR was 1.39 (area under the curve=0.736) with a sensitivity of 0.642 and a specificity of 0.646 (p<0.001). The ESR and CRP values were higher (p<0.001), and ANA (p<0.001) and RF (p=0.003) positivity were lower in the RA group, compared to the pSS group. Conclusion: This study findings indicate that AGR is a helpful tool in the differential diagnosis of RA and pSS presenting with UA at the time of admission, and Sjögren syndrome should be considered in case of AGR ≤1.39.

The Globulin, Albumin To Globulin Ratio(A/G) and Neutrophil To Lymphocyterate (NLR) Do Not Perform Better Than CRP and ESR in PJI Diagnosis

Objective: To test the significance of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), globulin(GLN) ,albumin to globulin ratio(A/G), and neutrophil to lymphocyterate(NLR) in periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 115 patients diagnosed from January 2017 to December 2020 with PJI (PJI group, median age 71.00 years [range, 41-94 years], 24 males, 29 females), and aseptic loosening (aseptic group, median age 68.50 years [range, 34–85 years], 32 male, 30 female) in our department. Demographic data and thesensitivity and specificity of preoperative CRP, ESR, GLB,A/G, and NLR in PJI diagnosis were compared. Results: There were no significant differences when the demographic data of the two groups were compared. The expression level of CRP (24.89 mg/L([IQR], 0.1 to 200)), ESR (3 mm/h([IQR], 6 to 120)), GLB (31.70 g/L ( [IQR], 18.50 to 60.60)), and NLR (2.51([IQR], 0.93 to 12.23)) in the PJI group were higher than in the aseptic loosening group (CRP: 2.245 mg/L([IQR], 0.2 to 111.94);ESR: 16 mm/h ([IQR], 2 to 76); GLB: 26.60 g/L([IQR], 17.90 to 68.20); NLR: 1.85([IQR], 0.63 to 9.09)). The expression level of A/G (1.15([IQR], 0.55 to 2.16)) in the PJI group was lower than in the aseptic loosening group (1.51([IQR], 0.71 to 2.40)). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the areas under the ROC curve (AUC) for CRP, ESR, GLB,A/G, and NLR were 0.841 (95% confidence interval, 0.761-0.903), 0.850 (0.771-0.910),0.747(0.658-0.824),0.779(0.692–0.851), and 0.708 (0.616–0.789), respectively. When GLB > 26.6g/L, A/G ＜1.32, and NLR >2.1 were set as the threshold values for the diagnosis of PJI, The sensitivity of GLB and A/G (90.57%, 81.13%) is higher than CRP (71.70%) and ESR (79.25%), but the specificity (GLB: 51.61%, A/G: 72.58%) was significantly lower than of CRP (87.10%) and ESR (75.81%). The ROC analysis of NLR showed that its sensitivity (73.58%) and specificity (70.97) had no significant advantages over CRP and ESR. Conclusion: globulin, A/G and NLR do not perform better than CRP and ESR in PJI diagnosis.

Globulin and Albumin To Globulin Ratio Precisely Diagnose Periprosthetic Joint Infection and Determine The Timing of Second-Stage Reimplantation

Background Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most challenging complication of total joint arthroplasty (TJI). An early and accurate diagnosis of PJI is associated with better treatment outcomes. However, whether the platelet-related markers and globulin-related markers can be used to assist the diagnosis of PJI remains elusive. Methods 206 patients underwent revision hip or knee arthroplasty in our institution were divided into two groups: 79 patients in PJI group and 127 patients in aseptic failure group. The levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet-related markers including platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT) and PLT to MPV raito (PMR) and globulin-related markers, such as globulin, albumin to globulin ratio (AGR), and PLT to AGR ratio were compared. The diagnostic value was measured using area under the curve (AUC) after constructing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The potential of each marker for determining the timing of second-staged reimplantation was also evaluated. Results Significantly increased levels of ESR, CRP, PLT, PCT, PMR, GLB, and PLT to AGR ratio were identified in PJI group, while decreased levels of MPV and AGR were also found. The diagnostic values of all platelet-related markers and GLB were considered as fair, and good diagnostic values of AGR and PLT to AGR ratio were found, which were comparable to those of ESR and CRP. The levels of GLB and AGR can also be used to predict negative culture result and the timing of second-stage reimplantation. Conclusions Globulin and albumin to globulin ratio were found to have good diagnostic values for PJI, and they can precisely predict the culture results and persistent infection.

Preoperative Albumin-to-Globulin Ratio Predicts Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Cohort Study Including Non-Hepatitis Virus-Infected Patients

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> We evaluated the prognostic significance of the preoperative albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with various liver etiologies. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively analyzed 157 patients with HCC between July 2010 and February 2021. The relationship between clinicopathological variables was investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Statistical significance was set at <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The mean overall survival (OS) was 24.5 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 90.4%, 81.2%, and 68.7%, respectively. Patients were classified into 2 groups: AGR &#x3c;1.16 (low-AGR group; <i>n</i> = 43) and AGR ≥1.16 (high-AGR group; <i>n</i> = 114). In univariate analysis, OS was significantly reduced in patients with a low AGR (AGR &#x3c;1.16), an alpha-fetoprotein level ≥25 ng/mL, a tumor size ≥3.5 cm, microvascular invasion, and poor tumor differentiation. In multivariate analysis, a low AGR (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]) (2.394 [1.092–5.213]; <i>p</i> = 0.030) and microvascular invasion (2.268 [1.019–5.169]; <i>p</i> = 0.045) were independent predictors of OS. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> A low AGR was significantly associated with poor OS in patients with HCC, regardless of liver etiology. This may assist in treatment stratification and better management of patients with HCC.

Prognostic significance of the albumin-to-globulin ratio for advanced urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab: a multicenter retrospective study

Although the albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) is a promising biomarker, no study has investigated its prognostic significance for advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). This study conformed to the REporting recommendations for tumor MARKer prognostic studies (REMARK) criteria. We retrospectively reviewed 176 patients with advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab between 2018 and 2020. We evaluated the associations between pretreatment clinicopathological variables, including the AGR and performance status (PS), with progression-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariable analyses. The AGR was dichotomized as < 0.95 and ≥ 0.95 based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. After excluding 26 cases with missing data from the total of 176 cases, 109 (73%) patients experienced disease progression, 75 (50%) died from UC, and 6 (4%) died of other causes (median survival = 12 months). Multivariate analyses identified PS ≥ 2 and pretreatment AGR < 0.95 as independent poor prognostic factors for all endpoints. Furthermore, a prognostic risk model incorporating these two variables achieved a relatively high concordance index for all endpoints. This is the first report to evaluate the significance of AGR in advanced UC. Pretreatment AGR < 0.95 may serve as a prognostic marker for advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab.

Prognostic value of the pre-operative serum albumin to globulin ratio in patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy

Purpose To evaluate the potential predictive value of the preoperative serum albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) for oncological outcomes in patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinically non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Methods Pre-operative AGR was assessed in a multi-institutional cohort of 6041 patients treated with RP. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association of the AGR with advanced disease. We performed Cox regression analyses to determine the relationship between AGR and biochemical recurrence (BCR). Results The optimal cut-off value was determined to be 1.31 according to receiver operating curve analysis. Compared to patients with a higher AGR, those with a lower preoperative AGR had worse BCR-free survival (P < 0.01) in the Kaplan–Meier analysis. Pre- and post-operative multivariable models that adjusted for the effects of established clinicopathologic features, confirmed its independent association with BCR [hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31–1.75, P < 0.01, HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.34–1.79, P < 0.01, respectively]. However, the addition of AGR to established prognostic models did not improve their discrimination. Conclusion While AGR is significantly associated with BCR, in the present study, the clinical impact of AGR was not large enough to affect patient management. Longer follow-up is necessary to observe the true effect of AGR.