BackgroundThe neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been proposed as an indicator of systemic inflammatory response and may predict the clinical outcome in some cancers, such as head and neck cancer and gastric cancer. However, the value of this ratio is variable in different cancers. Studies of the relationship between NLR and both survival and response to chemoradiation have been limited with respect to locally advanced rectal cancer.Methods and materialsFrom 2006 to 2011, 199 consecutive locally advanced rectal cancer patients who were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation in the Shanghai Cancer Center were enrolled and analysed retrospectively. Tumor response was evaluated by pathological findings. The baseline total white blood cell count (WBC) and the neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts were recorded. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the relationship with clinical outcomes such as overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was analyzed.ResultsWith ROC analysis, the baseline NLR value was found to significantly predict prognosis in terms of OS well in locally advanced rectal cancer patients. A multivariate analysis identified that a cut-off value of NLR ≥ 2.8 could be used as an independent factor to indicate decreased OS (HR, 2.123; 95% CI, 1.140-3.954; P = 0.018). NLR ≥ 2.8 was also associated with worse DFS in univariate analysis (HR, 1.662; 95% CI, 1.037-2.664; P = 0.035), though it was not significant in the multivariate analysis (HR, 1.363; 95% CI, 0.840-2.214; P = 0.210). There was no observed significant correlation of mean value of NLR to the response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation. The mean NLR in the ypT0-2 N0 group was 2.68 ± 1.38, and it was 2.77 ± 1.38 in the ypT3-4/N+ group, with no statistical significance (P = 0.703). The mean NLR in the TRG 0–1 group was 2.68 ± 1.42, and it was 2.82 ± 1.33 in the TRG 2–3 group with no statistical significance (P = 0.873).ConclusionsAn elevated baseline NLR is a valuable and easily available prognostic factor for OS in addition to tumor response after neoadjuvant therapy. Baseline NLR could be a useful candidate factor for stratifying patients and making treatment decisions in locally advanced rectal cancer.

BackgroundThe goal of this study was to assess the association between endometrial thickness on the chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) day and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) outcome in normal responders after GnRH antagonist administration.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed in normal responders with GnRH antagonist administration from January 2011–December 2013. Patients were divided into four groups according to endometrial thickness, as follows: <7 mm (group 1), > = 7- < 8 mm (group 2), > = 8- < 14 mm (group 3), and > =14 mm (group 4).ResultsA total of 2106 embryo transfer cycles were analyzed. The pregnancy rate (PR) was 44.87%.The clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate and the implantation rate (17.28%, 13.79%, 10.17%, respectively) were significantly lower in group 1 compared to the other three groups (p < 0.05). The miscarriage rate was higher in patients with endometrial thickness less than 7 mm. The clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate and implantation rate were highest in patients with endometrial thickness higher than 14 mm, but showed no difference in patients with those of endometrial thickness between 8-14 mm.ConclusionsThere is a correlation between endometrial thickness measured on hCG day and clinical outcome in normal responders with GnRH antagonist administration. The pregnancy rate was lower in patients with endometrial thickness less than 7 mm compared with patients with endometrial thickness more than 7 mm.

BackgroundThe current research aims to evaluate the risk factors of urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias surgery among the youth in China.MethodsOne hundred twenty hypospadias patients were enrolled in our study. All of them were defined as Tanner 4 or 5. The information collected from the participants include age, urethral operation history, urinary comorbidities before operation, urine test before operation, body temperature before and after operation, type of surgical repair, chordee degree, urethral defect length and whether received vesicostomy after surgery or not. Independent t test, chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were performed to evaluate the risk factor of urethrocutaneous fistula.ResultsAmong the enrolled patients, 39 patients (32.5%) developed urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias repair. Our result showed significant association between the group with urethrocutaneous fistula and the group without urethrocutaneous fistula with respect to age, pyuria before operation, urethral defect length and the urethral operation history. The following logistic regression showed that urethral defect length and the urethral operation history were the risk factors of urethrocutaneous fistula.ConclusionsUrethral defect length and urethral operation history should be taken into consideration before undergoing hypospadias surgery since our study discovered that the risk of developing urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias repair is associated with urethral defect length and urethral operation history. Age, surgical procedure, type of surgical repair, chordee degree and other factors were not obviously related to the development of urethrocutaneous fistula.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12894-018-0366-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This pilot study demonstrates that membrane-based electrophoresis is as effective as DGC in preparing sperm for IVF and ICSI, although it takes only a fraction of the time.