Abstract

In addition to the well-known negative prognostic significance of the abnormally high blood levels of lactate dehydrogenase LDH in most neoplasms, more recently it has been shown that the evidence of abnormally low values of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) may also predict a poor prognosis in human tumors. On these bases, a preliminary study was carried out to evaluate which relationship may occur between LMR and LDH levels in metastatic cancer patients. The study included 100 metastatic solid tumor patients. Breast, lung and gastrointestinal tract tumors were the neoplasms most frequent in our patients. Patients with high LDH levels showed significantly lower values of LMR. Since the occurrence of low LMR values is the expression of an immunosuppressive status, the association between LDH high levels and low LMR values would suggest that LDH may predict a poor prognosis in metastatic cancer not only by reflecting tumor extension, but also for its potential immunosuppressive status.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Immunosuppression; Lactate dehydrogenase; Lymphocyte to monocyte ratio; Tumor markers