The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention and stent implantation

Evaluation of Hematological and Biochemical Parameters that Predict the No-reflow Phenomenon in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is the main treatment strategy to restore myocardial perfusion. However, the no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) may block coronary flow. The present study focused on assessing and contrasting predictive parameters for NRP in ACS patients. Our research is a retrospective analysis. We assessed the parameters significantly associated with NRP using Cox regression and Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) Curve analysis. The study included 5122 patients who met the criteria. The average age of the patients was 63.9 + 13.2, and 74.4% were male. It was observed that NRP developed in 1.8% of all patients. Age, hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC), glucose and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined to be independent predictors of NRP. The power of these parameters to predict NRP was similar, and WBC was the most predictive (Area Under Curve (AUC): 0.605 95% CI: 0.539-0.671, P = .001). We believe that the use of these simple, practical, and routinely used hematological and biochemical parameters will help us predict the risk of developing NRP before pPCI. This information should improve management.

Evaluation of peripheral blood inflammatory biomarkers in sickle cell disease with and without retinopathy

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of blood-cell associated inflammation markers in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and sickle cell retinopathy (SCR).

METHODS

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), systemic immune inflammation index (SIII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), systemic inflammation modulation index (SIMI) and aggregate systemic inflammation index (AISI) were calculated. This study included 45 healthy controls (Group 1) and 100 SCD (Group 2). Patients in Group 2 were then divided into two groups: without SCR (Group 3) and with SCR (Group 4), and patients with SCR (Group 4) were further divided into two groups: non-proliferative sickle cell retinopathy (NPSCR) (Group 5) and proliferative sickle cell retinopathy (PSCR) (Group 6).

RESULTS

The mean values for NLR, PLR, SIII, SIRI, AISI, and SIMI were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1 (p = 0.011 for NLR, p = 0.004 for SIII, and p < 0.001 for others). Furthermore, AISI and SIMI parameters demonstrated statistically significant discriminatory power to distinguish Group 5 from Group 6 (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0006, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Given the critical role of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of SCD and its related complications, the assessment of blood-cell-associated inflammatory markers may present a pragmatic and advantageous approach to the clinical oversight and therapeutic intervention of SCD.

Preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and mortality of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft

Background

We sought to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP)-to-albumin ratio (CAR) for the prediction of mortality in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Methods

From January 2010 to August 2016, adult patients undergoing OPCAB were analyzed retrospectively. In a total of 2,082 patients, preoperative inflammatory markers including CAR, CRP, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal threshold and compare the predictive values of the markers. The patients were divided into two groups according to the cut-off value of CAR, and then the outcomes were compared. The primary end point was 1-year mortality.

Results

During the 1-year follow-up period, 25 patients (1.2%) died after OPCAB. The area under the curve of CAR for 1-year mortality was 0.767, which was significantly higher than other inflammatory markers. According to the calculated cut-off value of 1.326, the patients were divided into two groups: 1,580 (75.9%) patients were placed in the low CAR group vs. 502 (24.1%) patients in the high CAR group. After adjustment with inverse probability weighting, high CAR was significantly associated with increased risk of 1-year mortality after OPCAB (Hazard ratio, 5.01; 95% Confidence interval, 2.01-12.50; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

In this study, we demonstrated that preoperative CAR was associated with 1-year mortality following OPCAB. Compared to previous inflammatory markers, CAR may offer superior predictive power for mortality in patients undergoing OPCAB. For validation of our findings, further prospective studies are needed.

Association of inflammatory indicators with intensive care unit mortality in critically ill patients with coronary heart disease

Objective

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the major cardiovascular diseases, a common chronic disease in the elderly and a major cause of disability and death in the world. Currently, intensive care unit (ICU) patients have a high probability of concomitant coronary artery disease, and the mortality of this category of patients in the ICU is receiving increasing attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify whether the composite inflammatory indicators are significantly associated with ICU mortality in ICU patients with CHD and to develop a simple personalized prediction model.

Method

7115 patients from the Multi-Parameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care Database IV were randomly assigned to the training cohort (n = 5692) and internal validation cohort (n = 1423), and 701 patients from the eICU Collaborative Research Database served as the external validation cohort. The association between various inflammatory indicators and ICU mortality was determined by multivariate Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. Subsequently, a novel predictive model for mortality in ICU patients with CHD was developed in the training cohort and performance was evaluated in the internal and external validation cohorts.

Results

Various inflammatory indicators were demonstrated to be significantly associated with ICU mortality, 30-day ICU mortality, and 90-day ICU mortality in ICU patients with CHD by Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. The area under the curve of the novel predictive model for ICU mortality in ICU patients with CHD was 0.885 for the internal validation cohort and 0.726 for the external validation cohort. The calibration curve showed that the predicted probabilities of the model matched the actual observed probabilities. Furthermore, the decision curve analysis showed that the novel prediction model had a high net clinical benefit.

Conclusion

In ICU patients with CHD, various inflammatory indicators were independent risk factors for ICU mortality. We constructed a novel predictive model of ICU mortality risk in ICU patients with CHD that had great potential to guide clinical decision-making.

Systemic immune-inflammation index within the first postoperative hour as a predictor of severe postoperative complications in upper abdominal surgery: a retrospective single-center study

Background

Systemic pro-inflammatory factors play a critical role in mediating severe postoperative complications (SPCs) in upper abdominal surgery (UAS). The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been identified as a new inflammatory marker in many occasions. The present study aims to determine the association between SII and the occurrence of SPCs after UAS.

Methods

Included in this study were 310 patients with upper abdominal tumors who received UAS and subsequently were transferred to the anesthesia intensive care unit between November 2020 and November 2021 in Nanjing Drum Hospital. SPCs, including postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events, postoperative infections and delirium, were recorded during the hospital stay. The clinical features of the patients with and without SPCs were compared by Student’s t-test or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. Risk factors associated with SPC occurrence were evaluated by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to establish a cut-off level of SII value to predict SPCs.

Results

Of the 310 patients receiving UAS, 103 patients (33.2%) presented at least one SPC, including PPCs (n = 62), adverse cardiovascular events (n = 22), postoperative infections (n = 51), and delirium (n = 5). Both preoperative SII and 1-h postoperative SII in patients with SPCs were significantly higher than those in patients without SPCs. Multivariate analysis showed that 1-h postoperative SII was an independent predictor for SPC occurrence (OR = 1.000, 95% CI 1.000–1.000, P = 0.007), together with postoperative C-reactive protein, postoperative arterial lactate, postoperative oxygenation-index and older age. The ROC curve showed that the optimal cutoff value of 1-h postoperative SII to predict SPCs was 754.6078 × 10⁹/L, with an 88.3% sensitivity and a 29% specificity. Multivariate analysis also confirmed that 1-h postoperative SII > 754.6078 × 10⁹/L was associated with increased SPC occurrence (OR = 2.656, 95% CI 1.311–5.381, P = 0.007).

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated an association between the higher level of 1-h postoperative SII and SPCs, suggesting that 1-h postoperative SII, especially categorized 1-h postoperative SII using cutoff value, may be a useful tool for identifying patients at risk of developing SPCs.

The Prognostic Significance of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Monocyte to Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR) and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) on Long-Term Survival in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (OPCAB) Procedures

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases, apart from commonly known risk factors, are related to inflammation. There are several simple novel markers proposed to present the relation between inflammatory reactions activation and atherosclerotic changes. They are easily available from whole blood count and include neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelets to lymphocyte ratio (PLR). The RDW results were excluded from the analysis.

METHOD AND RESULTS

The study based on retrospective single-centre analysis of 682 consecutive patients (131 (19%) females and 551 (81%) males) with median age of 66 years (60-71) who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) procedure. During the median 5.3 +/- 1.9 years follow-up, there was a 87% cumulative survival rate. The laboratory parameters including preoperative MLR > 0.2 (HR 2.46, 95% CI 1.33-4.55, p = 0.004) and postoperative NLR > 3.5 (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.09-2.79, p = 0.019) were found significant for long-term mortality prediction in multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

Hematological indices NLR and MLR can be regarded as significant predictors of all-cause long-term mortality after OPCAB revascularization. Multivariable analysis revealed preoperative values of MLR > 0.2 and postoperative values of NLR > 3.5 as simple, reliable factors which may be applied into clinical practice for meticulous postoperative monitoring of patients in higher risk of worse prognosis.

Predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for primary patency of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula stenosis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential association of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with the primary patency of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) stenosis.

METHODS

This study conducted a retrospective review of patients with end-stage renal disease referred for hemodialysis AVF stenosis in one center. The study consisted of 114 patients with significant (significant stenosis was defined as a reduction in the caliber of the fistula vein of > 50% with respect to the non-aneurysmal venous segment). AVF stenosis patients were treated with PTA, with conventional balloon angioplasty. The NLR and PLR were calculated from the pre-interventional blood samples. The patients were classified into two groups: group A, primary patency < 12 months (n = 35) and group B, and primary patency ≥ 12 months (n = 79). Comparisons between the groups were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to compare the factors, NLR and PLR, for association with primary patency AVFs. A receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify the sensitivity and specificity of the NLR and PLR cut-off values in the prediction of primary patency time.

RESULTS

There was no difference in gender; age; side of AVF; AVF type; comorbid diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension; or blood parameters such as white cell count, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, C-reactive protein, NLR, or PLR between the two groups (p > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in the patency rate between the NLR < 4.13 and NLR ≥ 4.13 groups at 12 months (NLR cut-off point = 4.13, p = 0.273). There were statistically significant differences between the primary patency rates of the PLR < 187.86 and PLR ≥ 187.86 groups at 12 months (PLR cut-off point = 187.86, p = 0.023). The cut-off value for PLR for the determination of primary patency was 187.86, with a sensitivity of 57.0% and specificity of 34.4%.

CONCLUSION

An increased level of PLR may be a risk factor for the development of early AVF restenosis after successful PTA. However, more studies are needed to validate this finding.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Predicts Poor Outcome After Elective Off-Pump CABG: A Retrospective, Single-Center Study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the role of preoperative hematologic indices (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], platelet-lymphocyte ratio [PLR], systemic immune-inflammation index [SII; neutrophil × platelet/lymphocyte) in predicting short-term outcomes after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG).

DESIGN

A single-center, retrospective, risk-prediction study.

SETTING

A tertiary cardiac center.

PARTICIPANTS

1,007 patients undergoing elective OPCABG.

INTERVENTIONS

No specific intervention.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Two hundred five patients out of 1,007 (20.4%) manifested poor postoperative outcome (defined by ≥1 of: major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events, duration of mechanical ventilation (DO-MV) >24 hours, new-onset renal failure, sepsis, and death). On univariate analysis, age, diabetes mellitus (DM), European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II (EuroSCORE II), left-main disease, recent myocardial infarction, poor left ventricular ejection fraction, hemoglobin, NLR, PLR, and SII significantly predicted poor outcome. However, DM, EuroSCORE II, and SII emerged as independent predictors on multivariate analysis (odds ratio 0.136; 0.035-0.521, 3.377; 95% confidence interval 2.373-4.806, 1.01, 1.003-1.016). The SII cutoff of 878.06 × 10³/mm³ predicted poor outcome with 97.6% sensitivity, 91%, specificity, and area under the curve 0.984. There was a significant positive correlation between the SII values and DO-MV and length of intensive care unit stay (R = 0.676; 0.527, p < 0.001). The incidence of complications, such as atrial fibrillation, intra-aortic balloon pump requirement, vasoactive-ionotropic score >20 for >6 hours, and other infections, was also significantly higher in patients with SII ≥878.06 × 10³/mm³.

CONCLUSIONS

SII constitutes a parsimonious and reproducible parameter demonstrating the potential of delineating the patients vulnerable to poor outcomes after OPCABG given the combined contribution of pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic corpuscular lines in computing the novel index.

Differential approach to peripheral blood cell ratios in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and various manifestations

New markers of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) activity are under investigation. In recent years, the researchers have been focusing increased attention on the role of haematological indicators in assessing the disease activity. Specifically, neutrophil-, basophil-, eosinophil-, monocyte- and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR, BLR, ELR, MLR and PLR) have been considered. The specific objective of this study was to determine the suitability of the haematological markers for the assessment of SLE activity and SLE-related organ damage. This study is a retrospective analysis of 136 patients with SLE (124 women and 12 men) who received chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (HQ/HCQ) monotherapy or HQ/HCQ therapy combined with low/medium doses of glucocorticoid. All patients were assessed for disease activity using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) scale. In addition, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) inflammatory parameters were determined in each patient. NLR, BLR, ELR, MLR and PLR were evaluated and correlated with the SLE activity parameters and inflammatory markers. The mean values of the haematological indicators were compared in particular manifestations of SLE-induced organ damage. For numerical variables, descriptive statistics were calculated: median, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values. The Mann–Whitney U test was used for the comparison of continuous variables in the two groups. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to search for any relationships between variables. A p value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. We have found a positive correlation between ELR, MLR and the SLEDAI scale (r = 0.22 and r = 0.27, respectively). NLR, MLR and PLR ratios were significantly correlated with ESR and CRP. Considerably higher NLR values were found in patients with cutaneous and/or mucosal symptoms and with kidney involvement compared to patients without such involvement (4.26 ± 4.2 vs 3.27 ± 2.7; p = 0.05 and 5.45 ± 5.6 vs 3.05 ± 2.0; p < 0.001 respectively). BLR and MLR were significantly higher in patients manifesting symptoms of vasculitis (0.09 ± 0.1 vs 0.02 ± 0.01; p < 0.001 and 3.1 ± 4.2 vs 0.3 ± 0.1; p < 0.001 respectively), arthritis and/or myositis (0.04 ± 0.09 vs 0.02 ± 0.01; p = 0.01 and 1.02 ± 2.6 vs 0.35 ± 0.4; p = 0.01 respectively), whereas elevated ELR ratios were observed in patients with vasculitis (0.4 ± 0.5 vs 0.08 ± 0.06; p < 0.001) compared to patients without such organ involvement. The PLR marker was substantially higher in patients exhibiting haematological disorders in the course of SLE (276.6 ± 226.4 vs 192.6 ± 133.5; p = 0.01). The results indicate that ELR and MLR are effective markers of SLE activity. The haematological indicators may predict SLE-dependent organ damage, particularly cutaneous, mucosal, arthritic, myositic, haematological and kidney involvement.

Platelet/lymphocyte ratio for prediction of no-reflow phenomenon in ST-elevation myocardial infarction managed with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background

Coronary no-reflow phenomenon in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with a poor clinical outcome. Although its pathophysiology is not fully understood, a deregulated systemic inflammatory response plays an important role. We aimed to explore the relationship between platelet\lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and no-reflow in patients with acute STEMI who were treated with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Methods

A total of 200 patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI were included in the study. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination was performed to assess left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and wall motion score index. Blood samples were assayed for platelet and lymphocyte count before PPCI. No-reflow was defined as coronary blood flow thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade ≤II.

Results

No-reflow was observed in 58 (29%) of STEMI patients following PPCI. PLR was significantly higher in hypertensive patients compared to normotensive patients (144.7±91.6 vs. 109.1±47.1, respectively, P<0.001) and in the no-reflow group compared to the normal reflow group (214±93 vs. 101.6±51.3, respectively, P<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that PLR (β: 0.485, 95% CI: -0.006-0.001, P<0.002) and LV EF (β: 0.272, 95% CI: 0.009-0.034, P<0.001) were independent predictors of no-reflow after PPCI.

Conclusion

Pre-procedural increase in PLR is predictive of the no-reflow phenomenon following PPCI in STEMI patients.

Relevance for Patients

No reflow phenomenon is an unfavorable complication following PPCI in patients with acute STEMI. High pre-procedural PLR is an independent predictor of reperfusion failure and helps to identify patients who require prophylactic treatment.

Effects of Peripheral Vertigo on Inflammatory and Immunologic Laboratory Markers

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) are markers of subclinical inflammation and atherothrombosis. We investigated whether these easily accessible blood count parameters are affected by peripheral vertigo (PV). We studied 142 patients who were diagnosed with PV and referred to our hospital along with 135 healthy patients who were free of inflammation as a control group. The patient group was divided into 3 study groups depending on the presence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): BPPV, vestibular dysfunction (VD), and BPPV + VD. The total patient group and 3 subgroups were compared to the control group with respect to the NLR, PLR, and MPV. The NLR and PLR were calculated by dividing the neutrophil and platelet values by the lymphocyte value. Of 142 patients, 43, 71, and 28 patients comprised the BPPV, VD, and BPPV + VD groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (P > .05) in the NLR, PLR, or MPV between the main patient group or the individual patient subgroups and the control group. Our findings suggest that NLR, PLR, and MPV do not change significantly either in BPPV or in other peripheral vestibular disorders.

Platelet to lymphocyte ratio predicting 6-month primary patency of drug-coated balloon for femoropopliteal disease

Background

Inflammatory reaction is an essential factor in the occurrence, development and prognosis of femoropopliteal disease (FPD). The ratio of platelets to lymphocytes (PLR) is a new indicator reflecting platelet aggregation and burden of systemic inflammation. Our study is to explore the association between preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (pre-PLR) and 6-month primary patency (PP) after drug-coated balloon (DCB) in FPD.

Methods

There were 70 patients who underwent DCB for FPD contained in the study. According to 6-month PP, patients were divided into group A (PP ≥6 months, n = 54) and group B (PP < 6 months, n = 16). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential predictors for 6-month PP after DCB in FPD. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the cut-off value of pre-PLR to predict 6-month PP.

Results

Logistic regression analysis showed that pre-PLR (OR: 1.008, 95% CI: 1.001–1.016, P = 0.031) and lesion length > 10 cm (OR: 4.305, 95% CI: 1.061–17.465, P = 0.041) were independently predictive for 6-month PP. The cutoff value of pre-PLR obtained from the ROC analysis was 127.35 to determine 6-month PP with the area of 0.839. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on the cutoff value of pre-PLR. The 6-month PP in the group of pre-PLR < 127.35 was higher than that of pre-PLR ≥ 127.35 group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The present study indicated that an elevated pre-PLR was an effective additional indicator for predicting early PP in FPD after DCB.

Platelet to lymphocyte ratio predicts all-cause mortality in patients with carotid arterial disease

BACKGROUND

Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been demonstrated as a risk and prognostic marker in many of cardiovascular diseases. A relationship between PLR and severity of carotid stenosis has been shown. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between PLR and all cause mortality in patients with carotid arterial disease.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 146 patients who had been performed selective carotid angiography. Carotid stenosis were graded by the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) criteria. Platelet to lymphocyte ratio was calculated as the ratio of platelets to lymphocytes. The end point of the study was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

During median follow-up of 16 months (0-65 months) 15 (10.3%) patients suffered all-cause mortality. 50 patients (34.2%) underwent carotid endarterectomy and 69 patients (47.3%) had non-carotid cardiac surgery. 38 patients (26.02%) had cerebrovascular events (stroke/transient ischemic attack) at admission. NASCET grades were not different between survivors and non-survivors. Non-survivors had significantly lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels (12.7 ± 1.6 g/dL vs. 13.7 ± 1.7 g/dL, p = 0.031) and they were older than survivors (74.2 ± 8.4 years vs. 68.6 ± 8.5 years, p = 0.029). Non-survivors had significantly higher PLR values compared with survivors (190.3 ± 85.6 and 126.8 ± 53.8, p = 0.017). In multivariate analysis, only PLR predicted all-cause mortality in patients with carotid artery stenosis.

CONCLUSION

In our study, higher PLR was associated with increased all-cause mortality.

Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review

The platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is an integrated reflection of 2 opposite thrombotic/inflammatory pathways that are easily calculated from a complete blood count. The PLR initially served as a systemic inflammatory biomarker to predict the prognosis of neoplastic diseases. In recent years, the PLR has been used as a prognostic marker in cardiovascular (CV) conditions. In this review, we consider the evidence regarding the association of the PLR with CV disease (CVD) and its possible use as a prognostic marker of CVD. The role of PLR has been investigated in CV conditions in several studies. We assessed clinical trials using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science (up to April 18, 2018) to evaluate the association between PLR and mortality/major adverse cardiac events in these conditions. Most of these studies reported significant relationships between a high PLR and diverse outcomes. In conclusion, we suggest that PLR is a cheap and easily available systemic inflammatory marker that can predict distinct outcomes in different types of CVD.

Biomarkers of nondipper hypertension in prehypertensive and hypertensive patients

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with nondipper hypertension. Methods: This study included a total of 409 patients. Patients were grouped into hypertension, prehypertension and normotensive groups, according to their clinical blood pressure. All patients were also followed by ambulatory blood pressure. Results: Mean PLR and NLR were higher in the nondippers compared with dippers among both prehypertensive and hypertensive patients. In addition, PLR (OR: 1.011; 95% CI: 1004-1017; p = 0.001), NLR (OR: 2.296, 95% CI: 1634-3225; p < 0.001), and GGT (OR: 1.067; 95% CI: 1042-1092; p < 0.001) were found to be associated with nondipper pattern among whole study population. Conclusion: The PLR, NLR and GGT values are easily accessible and fairly useful, independently associated with nondipper hypertension for both hypertensive and prehypertensive patients.

Clinical effects of electrical stimulation therapy on lumbar disc herniation-induced sciatica and its influence on peripheral ROS level

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical effects of electrical stimulation therapy on lumbar disc herniation-induced sciatica and its influence on peripheral reactive oxygen species (ROS) level.

METHODS

100 patients with lumbar disc herniation-induced sciatica were selected, and were randomly divided into the control and research group. The control group was treated with traction and other basic therapies, while the research group was treated with electrical stimulation. The pain degrees, peripheral ROS levels and clinical effects prior to treatment and at 4 weeks after treatment were examined.

RESULTS

The total cure-remarkable-effectiveness rate of patients in research group was higher than that in control group (p<0.05). Before treatment, the pain rating index (PRI), present pain intensity (PPI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score had no statistically significant differences between the two groups. After treatment, PRI, PPI and VAS scores in the two groups were lower than those prior to treatment; these indexes in research group were lower than those in control group, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). After treatment, the peripheral ROS levels in the two groups were lower than those before treatment; it was lower in research group than that in control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Electrical stimulation has a significant effect in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation-induced sciatica, which can effectively reduce the pain, alleviate the clinical symptoms and signs of patients, regulate the peripheral ROS level, and prevent the oxidative damage of myocardial tissues.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte and platelet to lymphocyte ratios in systemic lupus erythematosus: Relation with disease activity and lupus nephritis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as activity markers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without nephritis and lupus nephritis (LN) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study included 60 SLE patients with LN, 60 SLE patients without renal involvement and 30 healthy controls. We analyzed correlations between NLR and PLR and both disease activity and renal affection.

RESULTS

The NLR of SLE patients was much higher than those of the controls. Both ratios showed significantly increased values in SLE patients with active disease. NLR and PLR were positively correlated with SLEDAI, ESR, and CRP and negatively correlated with C4. SLE patients with LN had higher levels of NLR than those without nephritis. NLR showed positive correlations with BUN, serum urea, serum creatinine and 24h urinary protein. We found NLR to be related to anti-ds-DNA level and renal biopsy classes. While PLR was related only to anti ds-DNA. The best NLR to predict SLE active disease was 2.2 and the best PLR cut-off value was 132.9.

CONCLUSION

NLR and PLR are useful inflammatory markers to evaluate disease activity in SLE patients. Also, NLR could reflect renal involvement in SLE patients and is associated with the different classes of its histological staging.

Association of Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio and Risk of 30-Day Postoperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Aortic Surgical Repair

Introduction:

The predictive value of the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been demonstrated in several cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the interest of the preoperative PLR as a predictor of 30-day postoperative outcome in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) undergoing open or endovascular surgical repair.

Material and Methods:

Two hundred twenty-four consecutive patients with infrarenal AAA were retrospectively included and divided into 4 quartiles according to the value of the preoperative PLR: PLR < 91.5 (group I), 91.5 < PLR < 120.8 (group II), 120.8 < PLR < 163.3 (group III), and PLR > 163.3 (group IV).

Results:

The AAA diameter was similar among the groups (54.9 mm vs 58.6, 57.5, and 58.7 mm; P = .4655). The proportion of symptomatic AAA and the procedural characteristics did not differ. Patients from group I and IV had significantly higher rates of all-cause postoperative complications compared to group II and III (55.4% and 64.3% vs 39.3% and 46.4%, respectively; P = .0478). The all-cause mortality tended to be higher in group I and IV (7.1% and 8.9% vs 0% and 3.6%, respectively; P = .1305).

Conclusion:

Extreme values of PLR are associated with a higher risk of complications following AAA surgical repair, suggesting its interest as a biomarker to evaluate the surgical risk.

Usefulness of Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio to Predict Long-Term All-Cause Mortality in Patients at High Risk of Coronary Artery Disease Who Underwent Coronary Angiography

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has recently been studied as a biomarker in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). The association between PLR and long-term all-cause mortality is unclear in patients at high risk of CAD who undergo coronary angiography for various indications. Follow-up was completed for 514 patients who underwent coronary angiography in a prospective study cohort. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Patients were classified into tertiles based on preangiography PLR and also dichotomized based on the optimal cutoff at a PLR of 137, determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The mean follow-up period was 5.0 ± 1.3 years, with 50 all-cause deaths. On the Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients in Tertile 3 (PLR > 145) had worse prognosis than patients in Tertiles 1 (PLR ≤ 106) and 2 (PLR 106.1 to 145) (p = 0.0075), and patients with PLR ≥ 137 had a significantly higher rate of all-cause mortality than those with PLR < 137 (p = 0.0006). On multivariate Cox regression adjusting for known cardiovascular risk factors, PLR was a strong, independent predictor of long-term all-cause mortality on the tertile analysis (Tertile 3 vs Tertile 1: hazard ratio 2.52, 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 5.39, p = 0.017) and based on the cutoff at a PLR of 137 (PLR ≥ 137 vs <137: hazard ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 4.20, p = 0.011). In conclusion, elevated PLR is associated with long-term all-cause mortality in patients at high risk of CAD who undergo coronary angiography, and PLR may be a useful prognostic biomarker in this population.

Hemographic indices are associated with mortality in acute heart failure

Hemographic indices have been associated with clinical outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure. We therefore investigated the prognostic values of hemographic indices in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF). Patients hospitalized primarily for AHF were drawn from an intramural registry. Hemographic indices, including white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, reciprocal of lymphocyte (RL) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were recorded. Among a total of 1923 participants (mean age 76 ± 12 years, 68% men), 875 patients died during a mean follow-up of 28.6 ± 20.7 months. Except for white blood cell counts, all the other hemographic indices were related to mortality, independently. In a forward stepwise Cox regression analysis among hemographic indices, RL was the strongest predictor (HR and 95% CI per-1SD:1.166,1.097-1.240) for mortality, after accounting for confounders. However, conditioned on the survivals, the hemographic indices were independently related to mortality within 3 years of follow-up, rather than beyond. Hemographic indices were independent risk factors of mortality in patients hospitalized for AHF, especially in patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function. As an acute presentation of inflammation, hemographic indices might be useful to identify subjects at risk of mortality soon after the index hospitalization.

Novel hematological biomarkers predict survival in renal cell carcinoma patients treated with nephrectomy

INTRODUCTION

The association between novel blood-based inflammatory indices and patient survival has been reported with reference to various cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with nephrectomy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From 2003 to 2012, 455 patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for RCC were enrolled in the study. The study endpoints were overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS).

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 70 months. Groups of patients with high levels of PLR, NLR and dNLR and a low level of LMR more often underwent radical nephrectomy, had a higher cancer stage in the TNM classification, and were more frequently diagnosed with tumor necrosis in histopathological examination. Both cancer-specific mortality and overall mortality were significantly higher in patients with high PLR, NLR and dNLR and low LMR. Multivariate analysis of CSS, adjusted for standard clinicopathological factors, identified only dNLR (p = 0.006) as an independent prognostic factor. PLR (p = 0.0002), dNLR (p = 0.0003) and NLR (p = 0.002), but not LMR (p = 0.1), achieved prognostic significance in multivariable analysis regarding OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Only dNLR was an independent prognostic factor for CSS and OS. Nevertheless, our study indicates that all examined complete blood count-based biomarkers may be useful tools in managing RCC patients treated with a surgical approach.

The relationship of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio with clinical outcome and final infarct core in acute ischemic stroke patients who have undergone endovascular therapy

OBJECTIVES

Of all strokes, 85% are ischemic and intracranial artery occlusion accounts for 80% of these ischemic strokes. Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke was a new modality aiming at resolution of clots in occluded cerebral arteries. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was introduced as a potential marker to determine increased inflammation, which is a result of releasing many mediators from the platelets. In this study we aimed to evaluate whether the PLR had a prognostic role in stroke patients undergoing thrombectomy and attempted to determine the effect that this ratio had on their survival.

METHODS

Over a three-year period, demographic, clinical, and angiographic findings of 57 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy were evaluated.

RESULTS

The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of a PLR level cut-off value of 145 based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Successful revascularization (mTICI 2b and 3) was achieved in 42 of 57 (73.7%) patients; a mTICI 3 state was observed in 21 of 23 patients with low-PLR values (p = .015). Patients with higher PLR values had significantly a score of less than six on the ASPECT scale compared to patients with lower PLR values (p = .005). The patients with low-PLR values had better functional outcomes (mRS ≤ 2) compared with the patients with high-PLR values [respectively, p = .004 (at first month) and p = .014 (at third month)].

DISCUSSION

The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio could represent pro-thrombotic inflammatory state in acute ischemic stroke patients because having a high-PLR values increased the poor prognosis, the rate of insufficient recanalization, and the size of infarcted area.