The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) is an independent predictor of overall survival in older patients with follicular lymphoma

Abstract

The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), a parameter combining serum albumin concentration and absolute lymphocyte count, is considered a measure of the nutritional and inflammatory status and the host’s anti-tumor response. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes according to the PNI of 351 grades 1–3 A FL patients. Forty-one patients (12%) had a PNI ≤45, who were older and showed adverse baseline features. A low PNI was associated with a shorter PFS (only for patients >60 years), and OS (for all patients, 10-year OS, 52% versus 74%, p = 0.0001). The prognostic impact of the PNI on OS was confirmed in a multivariate model for patients >60 years (HR = 3, p = 0.006). In conclusion, the PNI is a readily accessible piece of information that can identify a small subset of FL patients with shorter survival, and it could be an aid to improve the nutritional status of patients prior to treatment initiation.

Keywords:

• Follicular lymphoma
• Prognostic Nutritional Index
• chemoimmunotherapy
• response
• survival

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by “Becas de Investigación de la FEHH” (Fundación Española de Hematología y Hemoterapia) to Pablo Mozas, the [PI19/00925] grant (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) to Laura Magnano, and the [PI19/00887] grant (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) to Eva Giné and Armando López-Guillermo.