Table 3.
Associations between NLR and DFS and OS for different subgroups
| Subgroup analysis of DFS and OS | No of studies | No of patients | Random-effects model | Fixed-effects model | Heterogeneity | P for subgroup difference | |||
| HR (95% CI) | P (z-test) | HR (95% CI) | P (z-test) | I2 | Ph(Q) | ||||
| DFS | 11 | 4001 | 2.269 (1.557 to 3.307) | 0 | 1.900 (1.607 to 2.247) | 0 | 0.713 | 0 | |
| Year | 0.816 | ||||||||
| ≤2018 | 7 | 1165 | 2.120 (1.599 to 2.811) | 0 | 2.120 (1.599 to 2.811) | 0 | 0 | 0.519 | |
| >2018 | 4 | 2836 | 2.261 (1.065 to 4.801) | 0.034 | 1.790 (1.453 to 2.205) | 0 | 0.886 | 0 | |
| Country | 0.008 | ||||||||
| Asian | 10 | 2482 | 2.478 (1.914 to 3.208) | 0 | 2.433 (1.996 to 2.966) | 0 | 0.227 | 0.241 | |
| Non-Asian | 1 | 1519 | 1.018 (0.743 to 1.395) | 0.912 | 1.018 (0.743 to 1.395） | 0.912 | – | – | |
| Sample size | 0.044 | ||||||||
| ≤200 | 6 | 621 | 4.091 (2.464 to 6.793) | 0 | 4.091 (2.464 to 6.793) | 0 | 0 | 0.542 | |
| >200 | 5 | 3380 | 2.604 (1.927 to 3.518) | 0.007 | 1.729 (1.448 to 2.066) | 0 | 0.783 | 0.001 | |
| Cut-off value | 0.785 | ||||||||
| ≤2.3 | 7 | 2483 | 2.525 (1.377 to 4.628) | 0.003 | 1.577 (1.243 to 2.000) | 0 | 0.758 | 0 | |
| >2.3 | 4 | 1518 | 2.286 (1.804 to 2.896) | 0 | 2.286 (1.804 to 2.896) | 0 | 0 | 0.388 | |
| Subtype | 0.361 | ||||||||
| All | 4 | 2069 | 1.622 (0.958 to 2.747) | 0.072 | 1.279 (0.987 to 1.656) | 0.062 | 0.608 | 0.054 | |
| HR+/HER2− | 1+(1) | 795 | 2.704 (1.822 to 4.013) | 0 | 2.681 (1.849 to 3.888) | 0 | 0.055 | 0.304 | |
| TNBC | 4+(1) | 827 | 3.206 (1.914 to 5.371) | 0 | 2.737 (1.759 to 4.259) | 0 | 0.236 | 0.27 | |
| HER2-positive | 1 | 310 | 1.856 (1.1238 to 2.782) | 0.003 | 2.062 (1.109 to 4.446) | 0.003 | – | – | |
| Analysis method | 0.504 | ||||||||
| Univariate analysis | 9 | 3744 | 1.820 (0.696 to 20.976) | 0.123 | 56.721 (53.541 to 60.091) | 0 | 0.993 | 0 | |
| Multivariate analysis | 8 | 2615 | 2.300 (1.364 to 3.879) | 0.002 | 1.546 (1.253 to 1.907) | 0 | 0.775 | 0 | |
| OS | 6 | 3547 | 1.816 (1.326 to 2.487) | 0 | 1.691 (1.365 to 2.096) | 0 | 0.4 | 0.139 | |
DFS, disease-free survival; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HR, hormone receptor; NLR, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; OS, overall survival; Ph(Q), p values of Q test for heterogeneity test; TNBC, triple-negative breast cancer.