Immune cell-based cardiovascular risk assessment: spotlight on the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio

Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in CVD patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple marker of systemic inflammation, is crucial in the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Its predictive value for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in CVD patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes remains unclear. We analyzed 3,780 CVD patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2018). Kaplan-Meier survival curves, weighted Cox proportional hazards models, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to assess the relationship between NLR and mortality risk. RCS revealed a U-shaped association between NLR and all-cause mortality, with an inflection point at 1.776. For NLR < 1.776, the risk of all-cause mortality decreased by 13% per unit increase in NLR (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.76-0.98). For NLR ≥ 1.776, the risk increased by 15% per unit increase (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.10-1.26). A positive linear association was found between NLR and cardiovascular mortality, with a 17% increase in risk per unit increase in NLR (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.10-1.25). No significant interactions were observed in stratified analyses. Our study revealed the U-shaped relationship between NLR and all-cause mortality, and a positive linear relationship with cardiovascular mortality in CVD patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and short-term mortality risk in elderly acute medical patients admitted to a University Hospital Emergency Department

Early identification of patients with a poorer prognosis in the Emergency Department (ED) is crucial for prompt treatment and resource allocation. We investigated the relationship between the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and 30-day mortality in elderly acute medical patients. Prospective single-center cohort study including consecutive patients admitted to the ED. Inclusion criteria were age > 65 years and medical condition as the cause of ED access. Exclusion criteria were patients admitted for traumatic injuries or non-traumatic surgical diseases. ROC analysis was used to set the best cut-off of the NLR for mortality. 953 patients were included and 142 (14.9%) died during follow-up. ROC analysis showed a good predictive value of the NLR with an AUC 0.70, 95%CI 0.67-0.73 (p < 0.001) and identified a NLR > 8 as the best cut-off. Patients with NLR > 8 had a more serious triage code (72.6% had a triage code ≤ 2) and an increased heart rate and body temperature. They more often presented with dyspnea, abdominal pain, falls and vomiting. They also were characterized by an increase in urea, creatinine, white blood cells, neutrophils, fibrinogen, D-dimer, glycemia, CRP, LDH and transaminases and by a decrease in eGFR, of lymphocytes and monocytes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the NLR remained associated with mortality after adjustment for confounders (Odds ratio 2.563, 95%CI 1.595-4.118, p < 0.001). Patients with NLR > 8 showed a higher mortality rate. NLR is an easy and inexpensive tool that may be used for risk stratification in the ED. The results of this study need to be validated in larger external cohorts.

The Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio Modifies Lipoprotein (a)-Related Poor Prognosis in Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] could contribute to coronary artery disease (CAD) through proinflammatory effects. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inflammatory biomarker. We consecutively enrolled 7,922 CAD patients to investigate the synergistic association of Lp(a) and NLR with prognosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). NLR was calculated as the neutrophil count divided by the lymphocyte count. Cutoff for NLR was a median of 2.07. The threshold value was set at 30 mg/dL for Lp(a). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction. During 2 years follow-up, 111 (1.40%) MACEs occurred. Lp(a) > 30 mg/dL was associated with an increased MACE risk in participants with NLR ≥2.07 [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.84; 95% CI, 1.12-3.03], but not in participants with NLR <2.07 (adjusted HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.38-1.45) (Pinteraction = 0.021). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the synergistic association of Lp(a) and NLR with prognosis was more pronounced in female patients (Pinteraction = 0.028). This study suggested that combining Lp(a) and NLR may be useful for risk stratification in CAD population.

Discordance Between Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein to Predict Clinical Events in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Large-Scale Cohort Study

Purpose

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a novel inflammatory biomarker, has been shown to positively predict prognosis independent of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to use discordance analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of NLR and hsCRP to predict adverse events in patients with stable CAD.

Patients and Methods

This observational cohort study included 7827 consecutive CAD patients at Fuwai Hospital from March 2011 to April 2017. Discordant NLR with hsCRP was defined by the highest quartiles and medians. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), including cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and unplanned revascularization.

Results

During a median 36-month follow-up, 624 (8.0%) MACCEs occurred. Compared with the lowest NLR quartile, a significantly higher risk of MACCEs was observed in the highest NLR quartile after adjusting for confounding factors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.71). High NLR and low hsCRP discordance were also associated with an increased risk of MACCEs in the fully adjusted model (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05-1.84).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that discordantly elevated NLR levels were associated with a greater risk of adverse clinical events in patients with stable CAD, suggesting the potential clinical significance of NLR as a goal of inflammatory risk management.

Metformin Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Effect on Metabolic Parameters, Inflammation, Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers, and Immune Mediators

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a common cutaneous and systemic inflammatory disease with a significant impact on mental health and quality of life. It is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular (CV) disease, and increased all-cause mortality. Metformin is used frequently in HS treatment and is effective for some patients. The mechanism of action of metformin in HS is unknown. A case-control study of 40 patients with HS (20 on metformin and 20 controls) was conducted to assess differences in metabolic markers, inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP], serum adipokines, and CV risk biomarkers), and serum immune mediators. Body mass index (BMI), insulin resistance (77%), and metabolic syndrome (44%) were high overall, but not significantly different between the groups. This highlights the need for co-morbidity screening and management. A significant reduction in fasting insulin and a trend towards a reduction in insulin resistance were identified in the metformin group compared with pre-treatment levels. CV risk biomarkers were significantly favourable in the metformin group (lymphocytes, monocyte-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-lymphocyte ratio). CRP was lower in the metformin group but was not statistically significant. Adipokines were dysregulated overall but were not different between the two groups. Serum IFN-γ, IL-8, TNF-α, and CXCL1 trended lower in the metformin group but did not reach significance. These results suggest that metformin improves CV risk biomarkers and insulin resistance in patients with HS. When the results of this study are considered alongside other studies in HS and related conditions, it is likely that metformin also has beneficial effects on metabolic markers and systemic inflammation in HS (CRP, serum adipokines, and immune mediators), warranting further research.

High absolute neutrophil count with type 2 diabetes is associated with adverse outcome in patients with coronary artery disease: A large-scale cohort study

Background

Inflammatory processes crucially modulate the development, progression, and outcomes of coronary artery disease (CAD). Since hyperglycemia could alter inflammatory responses, this study aimed to investigate the effect of ANC, a novel and rapidly available inflammatory biomarker, on the prognosis of patients undergoing PCI with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

A total of 7,826 patients with CAD hospitalized for PCI at Fuwai Hospital were consecutively recruited. According to the median ANC value, patients were stratified as having high ANC (ANC-H) or low ANC (ANC-L) and were further classified into four groups by T2D. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and target vessel revascularization.

Results

During a median follow-up of 2.4 years, 509 (6.5%) MACCEs were documented. Diabetic patients with increased ANC were at significantly higher risk of MACCEs (aHR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.21-1.99; P = 0.001) compared to those in the ANC-L/non-T2D group (P for interaction between T2D and ANC categories = 0.044). Meanwhile, multivariable regression analysis demonstrated the highest MACCE risk in diabetic patients with a higher level of ANC than others (P for trend <0.001).

Conclusion

This study suggests that stratification of patients with elevated ANC and T2D could provide prognostic information for CAD patients undergoing PCI.

The influence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors on cognition, functioning, and inflammatory markers in first-episode psychosis: Results from a 2-year follow-up study

To explore the influence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) on cognitive symptoms, functional impairment, and systemic inflammatory markers in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Method: In a sample of 70 FEP patients and 85 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, we assessed nine modifiable CVRFs. All participants were classified into two subgroups according to their CVRF profile: lower (0-1 CVRFs) or higher (≥2 CVRFs). The following outcomes were measured at baseline and 2-year follow-up: cognition; functional outcomes; and white blood cell (WBC) subtype. Adjusted general linear models were conducted to study the effect of diagnosis and CVRF profile on cognition, functioning, WBC, and longitudinal changes in these variables. At baseline, FEP patients with a higher CVRF profile showed a significantly slower performance on the TMT-A test for psychomotor speed and higher lymphocyte levels than patients with a lower CVRF profile. No longitudinal changes were observed in primary outcomes at 2-year follow-up. Among FEP patients with a higher CVRF profile, slower psychomotor speed performance did not correlate with increased lymphocyte levels. Our findings suggest that the cognitive effects of CVRFs manifest early in the course of psychosis, thus highlighting the importance of targeting both CVRFs and cognitive deficits in FEP.

Effects of Dexmedetomidine and Propofol on Postoperative Analgesia and the Cellular Immune Function of Patients Undergoing Radical Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

In order to optimize the anesthesia scheme and improve the effect of surgical treatment, the effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol on postoperative analgesia and cellular immune function of patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer have been analyzed. A total of 86 patients admitted to our hospital from March 2021 to March 2022 who received laparoscopic radical gastritis were selected. The combined dexmedetomidine group (n = 43) and the control group (n = 43) are grouped by the random number table method, respectively. Anesthesia induction regimens of dexmedetomidine combined with propofol and conventional propofol are treated, and the changes in serum stress index, immune function index, analgesia score, and pain score are observed. The results show that the postoperative stress response, analgesic effect, and immune function of patients receiving dexmedetomidine combined with propofol anesthesia are significantly better than those receiving conventional anesthesia, and the incidence of postoperative complications in the dexmedetomidine combined group is significantly lower than that in the control group. The results demonstrate that dexmedetomidine combined with propofol anesthesia intervention has high security in undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.