Objective: This study aims to explore the predictive value of preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory biomarkers: platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for postoperative complications (infection, diarrhea, etc.) in colorectal tumor patients.
Methods: A cohort of 109 colorectal tumor patients who underwent surgical resection for colorectal cancer at the hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected as the research subjects. Patients' postoperative complications were tracked, and they were split into the complication group and the non-complication group. All patients underwent preoperative biochemical tests. Serum levels of CRP, PLR, and NLR were compared between the two groups. The relationship between these markers and postoperative complications in colorectal tumor patients was analyzed. A Logistic regression model was established to analyze their impact on postoperative complications, and a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to assess predictive value.
Results: Among the 109 colorectal tumor patients, 31 cases (28.44%) experienced postoperative complications. The complication group had larger tumor diameters and a higher proportion of open surgeries compared to the non-complication group (P < .05). Serum levels of CRP, PLR, and NLR were higher in the complication group compared to the non-complication group (P < .05). Correlation analysis showed that serum CRP, PLR, and NLR values were positively correlated with postoperative complications in colorectal tumor patients (r > 0, P < .05). The Logistic regression model revealed that high serum CRP levels (95%CI: 1.253-2.503), PLR (95%CI: 1.005-1.041), and NLR values (95%CI: 2.702-20.533) were risk factors for postoperative complications in colorectal tumor patients (OR>1, P < .05). The ROC curve demonstrated that serum CRP levels, PLR, and NLR values had certain predictive values for postoperative complications in colorectal tumor patients (AUC=0.811, 0.789, 0.870), the optimal predictive values were obtained when the cut-off values were set at 5.400 mg/L, 142.790, and 2.485, respectively and combined detection showed even higher predictive values (AUC=0.913). At 1 week post-surgery, the patient's CRP levels, PLR value, and NLR value were significantly lower than pre-surgery (P < .05).
Conclusion: Preoperative serum CRP, PLR, and NLR values are closely related to postoperative complications in colorectal tumor patients, and they can be used to predict the risk of postoperative complications in colorectal tumor patients. Clinically, early prediction of postoperative complications in patients can be achieved by measuring the aforementioned indicators, allowing for the implementation of appropriate preventive measures such as detoxification and infection control to improve patient outcomes.