Relationship of preoperative oral hypofunction with prognostic nutritional index in gastric cancer

We recruited patients with perioperative gastric cancer and examined preoperative oral hypofunction and its relationship with prognostic nutritional index. This cross-sectional study analysed 95 patients who underwent oral function management. We assessed the following parameters: body mass index, stage of gastric cancer, C-reactive protein, total lymphocyte count, albumin, and prognostic nutritional index. The patients were divided into two groups: prognostic nutritional index <45 and prognostic nutritional index >45. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the measurements of oral function and the prognostic nutritional index.A univariate analysis of factors associated with decreased oral function and prognostic nutritional index showed significant differences in C-reactive protein, neutrophils and tongue pressure (p<0.01) between the two groups. However, oral hygiene, oral dryness, occlusal force, tongue-lip motor function, masticatory function, and swallowing function were not significantly different. Multivariate analysis showed that C-reactive protein (odds ratio: 0.12, 95% confidence interval: 0.30-0.45, p<0.01) and tongue pressure (odds ratio: 3.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-12.60, p<0.05) were independent risk factors for oral hypofunction. Oral function is decreased in perioperative patients with gastric cancer, and decreased tongue pressure is associated with decreased prognostic nutritional index.