Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of mortality in intensive care unit patients: a retrospective analysis of the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III Database

Developing Augmented Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS Models by Integrating Biomarkers PCT, NLR, and CRP with SOFA and SAPS-III Scores

Background

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition characterized by a dysregulated immune response to infection, remains a significant clinical challenge globally. This study aims to enhance the predictive accuracy of existing sepsis severity scores by developing augmented versions of the SOFA and SAPS-III models, termed Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS, through the integration of biomarkers procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods

This prospective observational study was conducted in the medical ICU of a tertiary care hospital in southern India from August 2022 to December 2023. A total of 301 adult patients suspected or confirmed to have sepsis were assessed for eligibility, with 171 patients completing the study. Demographic and clinical data were collected; SOFA and SAPS-III scores were calculated and augmented with PCT, NLR, and CRP to develop Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS models. The performance of these models was evaluated using Brier scores, AUC, and net reclassification index (NRI).

Results

The augmented Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS models demonstrated superior predictive accuracy compared to their original counterparts. The Brier scores for Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS were 0.181 and 0.165, respectively, indicating better calibration than the original scores. The Pro-SAPS showed significant improvement over the original SAPS-III score (NRI = 0.50, SE = 0.14, p < 0.01). Similarly, Pro-SOFA outperformed the original SOFA (NRI = 0.49, SE = 0.13, p < 0.01).

Conclusion and clinical significance

Integrating PCT, CRP, and NLR with SOFA and SAPS-III scores to develop Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS significantly improves the predictive accuracy for sepsis mortality and can thus potentially improve sepsis outcomes.

How to cite this article

Nandakumar A, Sudeep S, Sreemohan AC, Vijayakumar S, Sudhakaran GJ, Gutjahr G, et al. Developing Augmented Pro-SOFA and Pro-SAPS Models by Integrating Biomarkers PCT, NLR, and CRP with SOFA and SAPS-III Scores. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(10):935-941.

The predictive value of hematological inflammatory markers for acute kidney injury and mortality in adults with hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A retrospective analysis of 585 patients

BACKGROUND

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare immunological hyperactivation-related disease with a high mortality rate. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between complete blood count parameters and the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality in patients with HLH.

METHODS

We included 585 adult patients with HLH. Logistic regression models for AKI and 28-day mortality were developed.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that hemoglobin (HB) ≤ 7.3 g/dl (adjusted OR, 1.651; 95% CI, 1.044-2.612), hemoglobin-to-red blood cell distribution width ratio (HRR) < 0.49 (adjusted OR, 1.692), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥ 3.15 (adjusted OR, 1.697), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-platelet ratio (NLPR) ≥ 11.0 (adjusted OR, 1.608) were independent risk factors for the development of AKI. Moreover, lower platelet levels (31 × 109/L < platelets < 84 × 109/L, adjusted OR, 2.133; platelets ≤ 31 × 109/L, adjusted OR, 3.545) and higher red blood cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR) levels (0.20 < RPR < 0.54, adjusted OR, 2.595; RPR ≥ 0.54, adjusted OR, 4.307), lymphocytes ≤ 0.34 × 109/L (adjusted OR, 1.793), NLPR ≥ 11.0 (adjusted OR, 2.898), and the aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI) ≤ 7 (adjusted OR,1.778) were also independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. Furthermore, patients with AKI had a worse prognosis than those without AKI (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In patients with HLH, hematological parameters are of great value for the early identification of patients at high risk of AKI and 28-day mortality.

Prognostic value of lymphocyte count for in-hospital mortality in patients with severe AECOPD

Background

Patients with severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often have a poor prognosis. Biomarkers can help clinicians personalize the assessment of different patients and mitigate mortality. The present study sought to determine if the lymphocyte count could act as a risk factor for mortality in individuals with severe AECOPD.

Methods

A retrospective study was carried out with 458 cases who had severe AECOPD. For analysis, patients were divided into two groups on the basis of lymphocyte count: < 0.8 × 10⁹/L and ≥ 0.8 × 10⁹/L.

Results

Patients who fulfilled the criteria for inclusion were enrolled, namely 458 with a mean age of 78.2 ± 8.2 years. Of these patients, 175 had a low lymphocyte count. Compared to patients with normal lymphocyte counts, those with low counts were older (79.2 ± 7.4 vs. 77.5 ± 8.6 years, p = 0.036), had lower activities of daily living scores on admission (35.9 ± 27.6 vs. 47.5 ± 17.1, p < 0.001), and had a greater need for home oxygen therapy (84.6 vs. 72.1%, p = 0.002). Patients with low lymphocytes had higher mortality rates during hospitalization (17.1 vs. 7.1%, p = 0.001), longer hospital stay (median [IQR] 16 days [12–26] vs. 14 days [10–20], p = 0.002) and longer time on mechanical ventilation (median [IQR] 11.6 days [5.8–18.7] vs. 10.9 days [3.8–11.6], p < 0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed lymphocyte count < 0.8 × 10⁹/L was an independent risk factor associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 2.74, 95%CI 1.33–5.66, p = 0.006).

Conclusion

Lymphocyte count could act as a predictor of mortality in patients with severe AECOPD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-022-02137-1.

High Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios Are Associated with a Higher Risk of Hemodialysis Vascular Access Failure

Our aim was to determine the predictive role of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in vascular access malfunctioning in patients who had undergone their first native arterio-venous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective observational study. All patients who underwent the procedure of the creation of a first native AVF for hemodialysis from January 2019 to December 2020 were considered eligible to be part of this study. Reinterventions for AVF malfunctioning were registered and the population was subdivided into two groups with respect to AVF malfunctioning. ROC curves were obtained to find the appropriate cut-off values for the NLR and PLR. A multivariate analysis was used to identify the independent predictors for an AVF malfunction. Kaplan−Meier curves were used to evaluate the AVF patency rates. A total of 178 patients were enrolled in the study, of them 70% (n = 121) were male. The mean age was 67.5 ± 12 years. Reinterventions for AVF malfunctioning were performed on 102 patients (57.3%). An NLR > 4.21 and a PLR > 208.8 was selected as the cut-off for AVF malfunctioning. The study population was divided into two groups depending on the NLR and PLR values of the individual. For the NLR < 4.21 group, the AVF patency rates were 90.7%, 85.3%, and 84% at the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up, respectively, and 77.5%, 65.8%, and 39.3% at 3, 6, and 12 months for the NLR > 4.21 group, respectively (p < 0.0001). For the PLR < 208.8 group, the patency rates were 85.6%, 76.7%, and 67.7% at the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. For the PLR > 208.28 group, the patency rates were 80.8%, 71.2%, and 50.7% for the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up, respectively (p = 0.014). The multivariate analysis highlighted that diabetes mellitus, the neutrophil count, the lymphocyte count, and the NLR were independent risk factors for an AVF failure. In our experience, the NLR and PLR are useful markers for the stratification of vascular access failure in hemodialysis patients. The inexpensive nature and ready availability of the values of these biomarkers are two points of strength for everyday clinical practice.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts in-hospital mortality in intracerebral hemorrhage

OBJECTIVES

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is gaining popularity as a low-cost biomarker of inflammation and outcome prediction. Intracerebral hemorrhage has high mortality and disability, which strongly influences societal development. This study aimed to research whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio can predict hospital mortality in patients with severe intracerebral hemorrhage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. The survival analysis and proportional hazards models analyzed clinical data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

RESULTS

The records of 1,000 patients were included in our study. Two hundred forty-seven individuals died in the hospital, while 753 survived to discharge. According to data analysis, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of the death group (11.21±7.81) significantly exceeded the survival group (7.94±6.04). The univariate Cox regression revealed that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a potential predictor of in-hospital mortality (HR:1.044; 95% CI:1.029-1.059; p <0.001). Furthermore, the proportional hazards model demonstrated that the risk of in-hospital death increased 2.34-fold for each increase in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio when other factors were held constant. Following the ROC analysis, the Kaplan-Meier based on the proportional hazards model showed that patients with a neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio >7.68 on the first day of hospitalization had a higher risk of death.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with severe intracerebral hemorrhage, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a potential predictor of in-hospital mortality.