The prognostic significance of preoperatively assessed AST/ALT (De Ritis) ratio on survival in patients underwent radical cystectomy

Purposes We aimed to evaluate prognostic significance of preoperatively assessed aspartate aminotransaminase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (De Ritis) ratio on survival in bladder cancer (BC) patients underwent radical cystectomy (RC). Methods We, respectively, analysed clinical and pathological data of 153 patients who underwent RC for BC between February 2006 and December 2016 at a tertiary level hospital. The potential prognostic value of De Ritis ratio was assessed by using ROC curve analysis. The effect of the De Ritis ratio was analysed by the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression hazard models for patients’ disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OAS). Results We had 149 BC patients, in total. Mean age was 61.65 ± 9.13 years. One hundred and thirty-nine (93.3%) of the patients were men. According to ROC analysis, optimal threshold of De Ritis ratio for DSS was 1.30. In Kaplan–Meier analyses, the high De Ritis ratio group showed worse progression in DSS and OAS (all parameters, p < 0.001). On Cox regression models of clinical and pathological parameters to predict DSS, De Ritis ratio (HR 5.79, 95% CI 2.25–15.13), pathological T stage (HR 15.89, 95% CI 3.92–64.33, in all p < 0.001); and to predict OAS, De Ritis ratio (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.49–4.56; p < 0.001), pathological T stage (HR 5.42, 95% CI 2.63–11.64; p < 0.001) and age (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02–1.08; p = 0.001) were determined as independent prognostic factors. Conclusions Preoperative elevated De Ritis ratio could be an independent prognostic factor in BC patients underwent RC. Our results should be confirmed by large and properly designed prospective, randomized trials.