Systematic analysis between inflammation-related index and sex hormones in American adults: cross-sectional research based NHANES 2013-2016

Association between blood cell ratios and coronary heart disease: A 10-year nationwide study (NHANES 2009-2018)

Blood cell ratios are a standard clinical index for the assessment of inflammation. Although a large number of epidemiological investigations have shown that inflammation is a potential risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), there is not sufficient and direct evidence to confirm the relationship between blood cell ratios and CHD. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the effect of blood cell ratios on the incidence of coronary heart disease. This 10-year national study included data from 24,924 participants. The independent variable was blood cell ratios, and the dependent variable was coronary heart diseases (yes or no). The relationship between blood cell ratios and coronary heart disease was verified using baseline characteristic analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, smoothed fitted curves, and subgroup analysis. This study found that in multiple logistic regression analysis showed significant positive correlation between monocyte counts × meutrophil counts/lymphocyte counts (SIRI) (OR = 1.495; 95% CI = 1.154-1.938), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) (OR = 3.081; 95% CI = 1.476-6.433) and the incidence of CHD; lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) (OR = 0.928;95% CI = 0.873-0.987), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (OR = 0.997;95% CI = 0.994-1.000) showed negative correlation with CHD. The smoothed curve fitting shows a nonlinear relationship between SIRI, LMR, PLR, and CHD, with an inverted U-shaped curve between SIRI and CHD, an L-shaped angle between LMR and CHD, and a U-shaped curve between PLR and CHD, respectively. Their inflection points are 1.462, 3.75, and 185.714, respectively. SIRI has an inverted U-shaped curve with coronary heart disease, suggesting that low levels of SIRI increase the risk of CHD; LMR with an L-shaped curve with CHD, and PLR with a U-shaped curve with CHD, suggesting that the risk of CHD can be prevented when LMR and PLR are reduced to a certain level. This has positive implications for the prevention and treatment of CHD.

Creating machine learning models that interpretably link systemic inflammatory index, sex steroid hormones, and dietary antioxidants to identify gout using the SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) method

Background

The relationship between systemic inflammatory index (SII), sex steroid hormones, dietary antioxidants (DA), and gout has not been determined. We aim to develop a reliable and interpretable machine learning (ML) model that links SII, sex steroid hormones, and DA to gout identification.

Methods

The dataset we used to study the relationship between SII, sex steroid hormones, DA, and gout was from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Six ML models were developed to identify gout by SII, sex steroid hormones, and DA. The seven performance discriminative features of each model were summarized, and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model with the best overall performance was selected to identify gout. We used the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method to explain the XGBoost model and its decision-making process.

Results

An initial survey of 20,146 participants resulted in 8,550 being included in the study. Selecting the best performing XGBoost model associated with SII, sex steroid hormones, and DA to identify gout (male: AUC: 0.795, 95% CI: 0.746- 0.843, accuracy: 98.7%; female: AUC: 0.822, 95% CI: 0.754- 0.883, accuracy: 99.2%). In the male group, The SHAP values showed that the lower feature values of lutein + zeaxanthin (LZ), vitamin C (VitC), lycopene, zinc, total testosterone (TT), vitamin E (VitE), and vitamin A (VitA), the greater the positive effect on the model output. In the female group, SHAP values showed that lower feature values of E2, zinc, lycopene, LZ, TT, and selenium had a greater positive effect on model output.

Conclusion

The interpretable XGBoost model demonstrated accuracy, efficiency, and robustness in identifying associations between SII, sex steroid hormones, DA, and gout in participants. Decreased TT in males and decreased E2 in females may be associated with gout, and increased DA intake and decreased SII may reduce the potential risk of gout.

Correlation between omega-3 intake and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy based on NHANES from 2005 to 2008

AIMS

To identify correlations between omega-3 intake and incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study using data from participants over age 40 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008. Metrics included participants' intake of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically three types of representative polyunsaturated fatty acids, DR prevalence, and demographic characteristics. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between omega-3 intake and DR.

RESULTS

Of the 1243 participants included in this study, omega-3 intake was lower in patients with DR relative to those without DR. Of the three polyunsaturated fatty acids within the omega-3 fatty acid family that we focused on, participants without DR consumed more docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than those with DR. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Higher omega-3 intake was associated with a decreased risk of DR. In a crude model, the odds ratio (OR) was 0.548 (95% CI 0.315, 0.951; p = 0.033). In the fully adjusted model of omega-3 (model II), the adjusted OR was 0.525 (95% CI 0.306, 0.901; p = 0.021). DPA and DHA were also associated with a decreased risk of DR. In the full adjustment model (model II) of DPA and DHA, the adjusted ORs were 0.0002 (95% CI 0.000, 0.166; p = 0.014) and 0.293 (95% CI 0.105, 0.819; p = 0.020). Subgroup analysis showed that the protective effect of omega-3 against DR was more significant in younger patients (p value = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

In this cross-sectional study of the U.S. general population, we found that increased intake of omega-3 and its components, specifically DPA and DHA were negatively associated with DR incidence. This suggests that omega-3 may be a potential protective factor for DR and may help to prevent or delay the onset and progression of DR.

Inflammatory markers are associated with infertility prevalence: a cross-sectional analysis of the NHANES 2013-2020

BACKGROUND

Inflammation exerts a critical role in the pathogenesis of infertility. The relationship between inflammatory parameters from peripheral blood and infertility remains unclear. Aim of this study was to investigate the association between inflammatory markers and infertility among women of reproductive age in the United States.

METHODS

Women aged 20-45 were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2020 for the present cross-sectional study. Data of reproductive status was collected from the Reproductive Health Questionnaire. Six inflammatory markers, systemic immune inflammation index (SII), lymphocyte count (LC), product of platelet and neutrophil count (PPN), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) were calculated from complete blood counts in mobile examination center. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess the association between inflammatory markers and infertility in four different models, then restricted cubic spline (RCS) plot was used to explore non-linearity association between inflammatory markers and infertility. Subgroup analyses were performed to further clarify effects of other covariates on association between inflammatory markers and infertility.

RESULTS

A total of 3,105 women aged 20-45 was included in the final analysis, with 431 (13.88%) self-reported infertility. A negative association was found between log2-SII, log2-PLR and infertility, with an OR of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.78,1.15; p = 0.60), 0.80 (95% CI:0.60,1.05; p = 0.10), respectively. The results were similar in model 1, model 2, and model 3. Compared with the lowest quartile (Q1), the third quartile (Q3) of log2-SII was negatively correlation with infertility, with an OR (95% CI) of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.37,0.85; p = 0.01) in model 3. Similarly, the third quartile (Q3) of log2-PLR was negatively correlation with infertility, with an OR (95% CI) of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.43,0.88; p = 0.01) in model 3. No significant association was observed between log2-LC, log2-PPN, log2-NLR, log2-LMR and infertility in model 3. A similar U-shaped relationship between log2-SII and infertility was found (p for non-linear < 0.05). The results of subgroup analyses revealed that associations between the third quartile (Q3) of log2-SII, log2-PLR and infertility were nearly consistent.

CONCLUSION

The findings showed that SII and PLR were negatively associated with infertility. Further studies are needed to explore their association better and the underlying mechanisms.

Increased Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Was Associated with Type 2 Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Chinese Population

Background

Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), a novel inflammatory marker, has been demonstrated to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its vascular complications, however, the relation between SII and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) has been never reported. We aimed to explore whether SII is associated with DPN in Chinese population.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1460 hospitalized patients with T2DM. SII was calculated as the platelet count × neutrophil count/lymphocyte count, and its possible association with DPN was investigated by correlation and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and subgroup analyses.

Results

Patients with higher SII quartiles had higher vibration perception threshold and prevalence of DPN (all P<0.01), and SII was independently positively associated with the prevalence of DPN (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of prevalence of DPN increased progressively across SII quartiles (P for trend <0.01), and participants in the highest quartile of SII was at a significantly increased risk of prevalent DPN compared to those in the lowest quartile after adjustment for potential confounding factors (odds rate: 1.211, 95% confidence intervals 1.045-1.404, P<0.05). Stratified analysis revealed positive associations of SII quartiles with risk of prevalent DPN only in men, people less than 65 years old, with body mass index <24 kg/m2, duration of diabetes >5 years, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, poor glycaemic control, and estimated glomerular filtration rate <90 mL/min/1.73 m2 (P for trend <0.01 or P for trend <0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off point of SII for predicting DPN was 617.67 in patients with T2DM, with a sensitivity of 45.3% and a specificity of 73%.

Conclusion

The present study showed that higher SII is independently associated with increased risk of DPN, and SII might serve as a new risk biomarker for DPN in Chinese population.

Comprehensive analysis of the association between inflammation indexes and complications in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background

During clinical practice, routine blood tests are commonly performed following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). However, the relationship between blood cell counts, inflammation-related indices, and postoperative complications remains unclear.

Method

We conducted a retrospective study, including patients who underwent PD from October 2018 to July 2023 at the First Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, and compared baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes among different groups. Neutrophil count (NC), platelet count (PLT), lymphocyte count (LC), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the product of platelet count and neutrophil count (PPN) were derived from postoperative blood test results. We investigated the association between these indicators and outcomes using multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis. The predictive performance of these indicators was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Result

A total of 232 patients were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis showed that all indicators, except for PLT, were associated with clinical postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). SII, NLR, and NC were linked to surgical site infection (SSI), while SII, NLR, and PLR were correlated with CD3 complication. PLT levels were related to postoperative hemorrhage. SII (AUC: 0.729), NLR (AUC: 0.713), and NC (AUC: 0.706) effectively predicted clinical POPF.

Conclusion

In patients undergoing PD, postoperative inflammation-related indices and blood cell counts are associated with various complications. NLR and PLT can serve as primary indicators post-surgery for monitoring complications.