Systemic inflammatory response markers in preeclampsia

Role of hematological indices in predicting preeclampsia and its severity: retrospective case-control study

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious condition that threatens pregnancy with severe sequelae on both the mother and infant. Early detection of PE will lead to favorable outcomes, and using readily available markers like hematological indices is an attractive choice. Examine the diagnostic utility of hematological indices in pregnant women to predict preeclampsia and its severity. In a retrospective case-control study that included 252 women, all had their complete blood picture evaluated during their first and third trimesters as part of their outpatient antenatal care during their pregnancy. They were also divided into 3 groups: healthy pregnant women (control), non-severe PE, and severe PE, each involving 84 women. The changes in platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) between 1st and 3rd trimesters showed an excellent ability to differentiate between severe PE and control (area under the curve = 0.954, cutoff ≤ -5.45%) and a good ability to differentiate between severe PE and non-severe PE (area under the curve = 0.841, cutoff ≤ -7.89%). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio showed a good to excellent ability to differentiate between severe PE and non-severe PE compared to control in the first and third trimesters and the percentage change between them. Changes in neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and PLR strongly predict preeclampsia and its severity since they offer more predictive values than measuring NLP and PLR at different stages of pregnancy individually.

A meta-analysis on first-trimester blood count parameters-is the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio a potentially novel method for first-trimester preeclampsia screening?

Objective

Meta-analysis focusing on the role of first-trimester neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the prediction of preeclampsia.

Data sources

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were queried from inception up to December 31, 2022.

Study eligibility criteria

The study included all types of original research that was conducted in humans and values of NLR were measured during the first trimester, among patients who later developed preeclampsia, compared to the values of control groups.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods

Two reviewers independently performed data abstraction and quality appraisal, and disagreements were resolved by consensus and, if necessary, by the opinion of a third reviewer. During the analysis, PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines were followed. All statistical analyses were made with R.

Results

For the research on the predictive role of NLR values in the first trimester for preeclampsia, a total of 6 studies were selected for analysis, covering 2,469 patients. The meta-analysis revealed a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the effect size of 0.641 to 1.523, with a prediction interval of 0.027 to 2.137.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis, NLR is a promising biochemical marker for future pieces of research that try to find new screening methods for first-trimester preeclampsia. We encourage other researchers to examine NLR's predictive value combined with other markers in preeclampsia screening, this way being able to find new and affordable protocols for first-trimester preeclampsia screening.

Systematic review registration

identifier CRD42023392663.

The role of first trimester serum inflammatory indexes (NLR, PLR, MLR, SII, SIRI, and PIV) and the β-hCG to PAPP-A ratio in predicting preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of inflammation parameters and indices measured in the first trimester for the detection of preeclampsia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective analysis, we examined the medical records of 276 eligible pregnancies at a tertiary referral center from 2022 to 2023. The cases were categorized into the Control group (n = 171), the Mild Preeclampsia group (n = 63), and the Severe Preeclampsia group (n = 42). We examined the demographic characteristics and perinatal outcomes of all participants. Additionally, we analyzed laboratory parameters, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII) (neutrophil*platelet/lymphocyte), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) (neutrophil*monocyte/lymphocyte), pan-immune inflammation value (PIV) (neutrophil*platelet*monocyte/lymphocyte), and the β-hCG to PAPP-A ratio in the first trimester. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was conducted to identify the optimal cut-off levels for inflammatory markers in predicting preeclampsia.

RESULTS

SIRI and PIV exhibited statistical significance in differentiating between the preeclampsia and control groups for predicting preeclampsia. The determined cut-off value for SIRI was 1.5, providing a sensitivity of 56.2% and a specificity of 55.6% (p = 0.012). Likewise, the cut-off value for PIV was 394.4, with a sensitivity of 55.2% and a specificity of 55% (p = 0.013). NLR, PLR, MLR, SII, and β-hCG to PAPP-A ratio could not predict preeclampsia.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that SIRI and PIV hold promise as potential tools for predicting the risk of preeclampsia during the first trimester.

Is platelet to lymphocyte ratio predictive of preeclampsia? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting preeclampsia (PE) in pregnant women.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched for observational studies (cohort, case-control or cross-sectional) that reported pre-treatment maternal PLR values in women with and without PE. The analysis was done using a random effects model. Pooled effect sizes were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the risk of bias.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies with 7755 patients were included in this meta-analysis. PLR was comparable in patients with PE and healthy pregnant women (WMD -2.97; 95% CI: -11.95 to 6.02; N = 16). Patients with mild (WMD -3.00; 95% CI: -17.40 to 11.41; N = 12) and severe PE (WMD -5.77; 95% CI: -25.48 to 13.94; N = 14) had statistically similar PLR, compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show similar PLR in PE and healthy pregnancies. PLR, therefore, may not be used to differentiate between PE and normal pregnancy or for assessing the severity of PE. The majority of included studies were case-control, potentially introducing bias, and we identified evidence of publication bias as well.

Cysteinyl Leukotriene and Systemic Inflammatory Levels in Preeclampsia

Background In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of cysteinyl leukotriene levels, which play a role in inflammation, in predicting the severity of preeclampsia (PE) and to determine whether this marker can be used as a screening tool. Methods In this cross-sectional analytic study, we classified pregnant women who were normotensive (control) or PE or severe PE (SPE) between March 2019 and July 2019. Singleton pregnant 60 women who met the following criteria for the diagnosis of PE were included in the study group. We identified 30 patients with PE and 30 patients with SPE. Normotensive pregnant women (n=30) who met this criterion were included as a control group by randomly selecting them on odd days of the week. Results All pregnant women who participated in the study had a singleton pregnancy, and maternal age ranged from 18 to 40 years, with a mean age of 28.77±6.37 years. The mean gestational week of the group was 35.54±3.247 weeks. Gestational age was higher in women in the control group (p=0.018), shock index was higher in women in the control group (p < 0.001), and body mass index (BMI) value was lower in this group than in the other groups (p=0.002). The values of mean arterial pressure (MAP) were found to have a strong correlation with shock index value and a weak and negative correlation with gestational week and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (p < 0.05). The mean cysteinyl leukotriene levels of 206.15 pg/mL for the control group, 273.2 pg/mL for PE, and 211.85 pg/mL for SPE were calculated. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p=0.707). Conclusion We found that cysteinyl leukotrienes were not clinically important in assessing the risk for developing PE and predicting SPE. Alanine aminotransferase, white blood cell, lymphocyte, C-reactive protein, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and shock index were positively correlated with the value of MAP.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictive index for liver and coagulation dysfunction in preeclampsia patients

BACKGROUND

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy disorder that is related to an enhanced immune response. Immune cell characteristics such as neutrophil or monocyte to lymphocyte ratios (NLR, MLR) are known to be related to kidney and liver dysfunction in hypertensive patients. Here, we aimed to analyze the correlations between NLR, MLR and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and liver, renal and coagulation functional parameters and the impacts of these immune cell profiles to the prognostic significance in PE patients.

METHODS

Pre-delivery hematological and biochemical parameters of 320 first-time pregnant women registered at the Obstetrics Department of Yanbian University Hospital from 2016 to 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into normal pregnancy (normal, n = 161), mild PE (mPE, n = 28) and severe PE (sPE, n = 131) groups according to diagnostic criteria. Pearson correlation analysis were performed and area under the curve (AUC) were conducted for the diagnostic values of NLR, MLR and PLR. Results were validated with data from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH).

RESULTS

Kidney functional indexes were adversative in mPE and sPE and liver and coagulation indexes were worse in sPE compared to normal groups. Among immune cells, lymphocytes were increased in mPE and sPE patients, resulted in reduced NLR, MLR and PLR in PE groups, more significant difference were shown in sPE. NLR and PLR were associated with CREA and/or BUN negatively and positive associations were observed with total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) in sPE. Only NLR showed positive associations with coagulation indexes (PT and APTT) in sPE. AUC analysis for NLR, MLR and PLR were 0.700, 0.656, 0.643, respectively, and NLR < 3.7 predicted hypertension (95% CI in all participants: 0.647-0.749, p < 0.001). Blood pressure, liver, kidney and coagulation indexes were worse at cut off value (NLR < 3.7), and this was validated with the data from SNUH.

CONCLUSION

NLR could be used as an independent predictor of liver and coagulation dysfunction in PE patients. Our results may provide non-invasive and efficient way of the risk assessment among PE patients.

First Trimester Mean Platelet Volume, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio, and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio Values Are Useful Markers for Predicting Preeclampsia

Background: Preeclampsia complicates 2% to 8% of all pregnancies. Systemic inflammatory response (SIR) markers are widely used in the diagnosis of many inflammatory diseases and in the prediction of complicated pregnancies. This study examined the diagnostic value of SIR markers during the first trimester of pregnancy to predict preeclampsia development.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted from January 2020 to May 2020. We included 94 patients diagnosed with mild preeclampsia, 107 patients diagnosed with severe preeclampsia, and 100 normotensive pregnant patients as controls. We obtained the first trimester (6 to 14 weeks) complete blood cell counts for all patients. We used a receiver operating characteristic curve to evaluate the cutoff, sensitivity, and specificity values.

Results: First trimester mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values were significantly higher in patients who developed preeclampsia in later pregnancy weeks. The optimal cutoff value for MPV was 10.65 fL, with a sensitivity of 63.7% and a specificity of 65.0%. The best predictor for preeclampsia was NLR at an optimal cutoff value of 4.12, with a sensitivity of 82.1% and specificity of 62.0%. At a cutoff value of 131.8, PLR predicted preeclampsia with a sensitivity rate of 65.0% and a specificity rate of 60.2%.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that first trimester MPV, NLR, and PLR values are clinically useful markers in the prediction of preeclampsia. The increased first trimester values of MPV, NLR, and PLR also indicate that inflammation may play a crucial role in preeclampsia pathogenesis.

Can complete blood count parameters that change according to trimester in pregnancy be used to predict severe preeclampsia?

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of changes over time in complete blood count (CBC) parameters to estimate the diagnosis of preeclampsia. Data on 161 severe preeclampsia patients and 161 healthy pregnant patients who met the study criteria of pregnant women whose CBC had been measured at 10-12, 22-24 and 28-30 weeks of pregnancy were compared. In the preeclampsia group, an increase in the mean platelet volume (MPV) value and a decrease in the number of platelets were statistically significant in the transition from the second to the third trimester. MPV and lymphocyte counts were more significant in the third trimester and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were more significant in the second trimester. We found that evaluation of the changes in lymphocyte, MPV and NLR values in three different trimesters of pregnancy rather than a single trimester was more meaningful to predict severe preeclampsia.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Studies have shown that MPV and NLR can predict preeclampsia. However, a clear cut off value could not be determined. The reasons for this may be that the gestational week during which the measurement is made is not standard and the patient groups are not homogeneous.What the results of this study add? In this study, CBC parameters at different stages of the preeclampsia process were compared in the severe preeclampsia group. According to our results, lymphocytes, NLR and MPV can be used to predict severe preeclampsia. In addition, NLR measurements in the second trimester and MPV and lymphocyte measurements in the third trimester were found to be more significant in predicting severe preeclampsia.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? In order to predict severe preeclampsia, instead of a single measurement of CBC parameters, new calculations should be made that add change over time.

Association between serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and inflammation, oxidative stress in pregnancy-induced hypertension

The aberrant increase of circulating beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) at early stages of pregnancy can be used to predict gestational hypertension. However, the association of β-HCG and inflammation, oxidative stress in pregnancy-caused hypertensive disorder on perinatal stage remains unclear. A case-controlled study was performed, with 133 adult pregnant women participated in their perinatal stage. Participants in this research included 45 with mild preeclampsia, 40 with severe preeclampsia and 48 without hypertension. Higher circulating β-HCG level was correlated with severer pregnancy-induced hypertension. Independent contribution of inflammatory factors including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ and oxidative stress factors including thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and total antioxidant capacity to severe pregnancy-induced hypertension was significant (P < 0.001). The correlation of circulating β-HCG levels with inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension in perinatal stage was statistically significant.

Sepsis in Pregnancy: Recognition and Resuscitation

The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy complicate evaluation for sepsis and subsequent management. Previous sepsis studies have specifically excluded pregnant patients. This narrative review evaluates the presentation, scoring systems for risk stratification, diagnosis, and management of sepsis in pregnancy. Sepsis is potentially fatal, but literature for the evaluation and treatment of this condition in pregnancy is scarce. While the definition and considerations of sepsis have changed with large, randomized controlled trials, pregnancy has consistently been among the exclusion criteria. The two pregnancy-specific sepsis scoring systems, the modified obstetric early warning scoring system (MOEWS) and Sepsis in Obstetrics Score (SOS), present a number of limitations for application in the emergency department (ED) setting. Methods of generation and subsequently limited validation leave significant gaps in identification of septic pregnant patients. Management requires consideration of a variety of sources in the septic pregnant patient. The underlying physiologic nature of pregnancy also highlights the need to individualize resuscitation and critical care efforts in this unique patient population. Pregnant septic patients require specific considerations and treatment goals to provide optimal care for this particular population. Guidelines and scoring systems currently exist, but further studies are required.

Red cell distribution width and preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related disease which may lead to adverse health effects to the mother and fetus. Besides many publications on the association of red cell distribution width (RDW) and preeclampsia, there has been no published meta-analysis. This necessitated the present systemic review and met-analysis to assess the RDW in relation to preeclampsia.

METHODS

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline was followed. Relevant published studies were searched in PubMed, Cochrane library, Google scholar, Scopus, Embase and CINAHL using the term "Preeclampsia OR eclampsia AND red cell distribution width OR red blood cells). Modified Newcastle - Ottawa quality assessment scale was used for critical appraisal of retrieved studies. Pooled Meta logistic regression was computed using OpenMeta Analyst software. Subgroup and meta-regression methods were performed to analyse the heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Eleven case control studies were included in the met-analyses with a total of 951 cases (preeclampsia) and 2024 controls. The mean (SD) of the RDW level was significantly higher in women with preeclampsia compared to controls [15.10 (2.48) % vs. 14.26(1.71) %, P < 0.001]. The mean difference was 0.85, 95% CI = 0.26-1.43. Due to a high heterogeneity (I2 = 90.45, P < 0.001), the continuous random effect model was used.Eight studies compared RDW level in the mild (N = 360) with severe cases (N = 354) of preeclampsia. The RDW level was significantly higher in women with severe preeclampsia compared to those with mild preeclampsia [15.37 (2.48) % vs. 14.037(1.79) %, P < 0.001]. The mean difference was 1.07, 95% CI = 0.45-1.70. Since there is a high heterogeneity [I2 = 76.67, P < 0.001], the continuous random effect model was used.Through the met-regression model, except for the region of the study (P < 0.001), none of investigated variables (age, parity, quality of the study) was significantly associated with the investigated heterogeneity. The outliers (3studies) were removed to reduce the heterogeneity. The pooled meta-analysis of the remaining 8 studies showed a significant difference in the RDW between preeclamptic women compared with the controls. The mean difference was 0.93, 95% CI = 0.56-1.31, P < 0.001. Because of heterogeneity [I2 = 69.6, P = 0.002], the continuous random effect model was used.

CONCLUSION

RDW level was significantly higher in women with preeclampsia compared to controls. Similarly, women with severe preeclampsia had significantly higher RDW than those with the mild form.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Routine Complete Blood Count Components in HELLP Syndrome: A Matched Case Control Study

Background and objective: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are new readily available inflammatory markers that have been analyzed in pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia. Studies on the NLR/PLR ratio in hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low-platelet count (HELLP) syndrome are limited in the current literature. We compared NLR/PLR and other complete blood count (CBC) components between women with HELLP syndrome and women with healthy pregnancies. Methods: We conducted a retrospective matched case–control study at a tertiary care hospital in NY (USA) in the time frame between January 2016 and December 2018. The study compared pregnant women with HELLP syndrome (cases) to women with healthy pregnancies in the third trimester (controls), matched by age, body mass index (BMI), parity, and race. Patient with preeclampsia, infection, and fever were excluded. Venous blood samples were obtained as part of the routine work-up at admission for delivery, which included a CBC. The main outcomes were NLR and PLR. The secondary outcomes were hemoglobin, red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophils, lymphocytes. Results: There were 14 patients in each group. They were matched by age, race, BMI, and parity. NLR (5.8 vs. 3.6, p-value = 0.002) and neutrophil count (10.7 vs. 6.8, p-value = 0.001) were higher in women with HELLP compared to controls. PLR (34 vs. 130.2, p-value < 0.001) and platelet count (71 vs. 223, p-value < 0.001) were lower in the study group compared to controls. Conclusions: NLR was higher, and PLR was lower in women with HELLP syndrome. These inflammatory markers can be incorporated into the diagnostic algorithm for HELLP syndrome. Future studies are needed to evaluate their ability to predict HELLP syndrome.