Prognostic impact of prognostic nutritional index on renal cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis of 7,629 patients

BACKGROUND: Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a parameter which reflects nutritional and inflammatory status. The prognostic value of PNI in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains in debate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value and clinicopathological features of PNI in RCC. METHODS: A literature search was performed in the databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted for meta-analysis. The association between PNI and overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and clinicopathological factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Eleven studies involving 7,629 patients were included for meta-analysis. A decreased PNI was shown to be a significant predictor of worse OS (HR = 2.00, 95%CI = 1.64–2.42, p<0.001), CSS (HR = 2.54, 95%CI = 1.61–4.00, p<0.001), and DFS/PFS/RFS (HR = 2.12, 95%CI = 1.82–2.46, p<0.001) in RCC. Furthermore, a low PNI was correlated with Fuhrman grade III-IV (OR = 1.96, 95%CI = 1.27–3.02, p = 0.002), T stage T3-T4 (OR = 2.21, 95%CI = 1.27–3.87, p = 0.005), presence of sarcomatoid differentiation (OR = 5.00, 95%CI = 2.52–9.92, p<0.001), and presence of tumor necrosis (OR = 3.63, 95%CI = 2.54–5.19, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: PNI is an independent prognostic indicator of survival and associated with Fuhrman grade, T stage, sarcomatoid differentiation, and tumor necrosis in patients with RCC.