Table 4.
Summary of the subgroup analyses of the correlation between NLR and DFS in CCA patients.
| Subgroup | Number of studies | HR [95%CI] | P value | Heterogeneity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I2 | p | ||||
| Cancer type | |||||
| CCA* | 1 | 1.43 [1.05–1.96] | 0.02 | - | - |
| ICCA | 10 | 1.44 [1.17–1.77] | < 0.01 | 73% | < 0.01 |
| ECCA | 3 | 1.11 [0.68–1.83] | 0.67 | 70% | 0.03 |
| Treatment | |||||
| Surgery | 11 | 1.40 [1.13–1.74] | < 0.01 | 78% | < 0.01 |
| Non-surgery | 4 | 1.42 [1.15–2.75] | < 0.01 | 0% | 0.78 |
| Cut-off value | |||||
| NLR > 3 | 6 | 1.56 [1.04–2.34] | 0.03 | 84% | < 0.01 |
| NLR ≤ 3 | 9 | 1.33 [1.10–1.62] | < 0.01 | 59% | 0.01 |
| Region | |||||
| Eastern | 11 | 1.36 [1.15–1.61] | < 0.01 | 62% | < 0.01 |
| Western | 4 | 1.72 [0.81–3.63] | 0.16 | 88% | < 0.01 |
| Sample size | |||||
| ≥ 200 | 6 | 1.34 [1.13–1.59] | < 0.01 | 21% | 0.28 |
| < 200 | 9 | 1.44 [1.11–1.88] | < 0.01 | 79% | < 0.01 |
| Age** | |||||
| ≥ 60 | 4 | 1.70 [1.23–2.34] | < 0.01 | 24% | 0.26 |
| < 60 | 11 | 1.30 [1.08–1.57] | 0.01 | 74% | < 0.01 |
*Includes both ICCA and ECCA. **Mean/median age of the study cohort. ECCA extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, HR hazard ratio, ICCA intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, NLR neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.