The diagnostic and prognostic value of haematologic parameters in multiple myeloma patients

Objectives: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disease characterized by a single clonal proliferation of B cell-derived plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is the second most common haematologic malignancy in adults. The objective of this retrospective study is to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of haematologic parameters in MM. Methods: The difference of NLR/ALB ratio (NAR) and NLR/HDL-C ratio (NHR) between the 151 newly diagnosed MM patients and 153 healthy controls was compared. According to NAR and NHR cutoff values obtained from the ROC curve, MM patients were divided into low group and high group. The differences in hematological parameters and survival time between the two groups were compared. Independent prognostic analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: The NAR and NHR values in MM group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.001). Higher NAR levels were significantly associated with lower albumin (ALB), higher beta 2 microglobulin(beta 2-MG), higher creatinine (Crea), and highe ISS stage (All P). High NHR group was significantly correlated with age , beta 2-MG and ISS stage (All P). In high NAR or NHR groups, OS and DFS was significantly shortened and the prognosis was poor (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that PLT, ISS stage and NAR were independent prognostic indicators of OS in MM patients, while ALB, PLT and NAR were independent prognostic factors of DFS. Conclusion: NAR and NHR are inexpensive, readily available diagnostic indicators for MM, and NAR is an independent prognostic factor for MM.