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

Objective: 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.