Association of hematological inflammatory indices and monocyte/HDL ratio with plaque formation in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease
Naile Mısırlıoğlu1, Burcu Bıcakhan2, Sümeyye Nur Aydın3, Gulenay Defne Ozen4, Hafize Uzun11Department of Medical Biochemistry, Istanbul Atlas University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye2Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
3Department of Public Health, Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate, Istanbul, Türkiye
4Psychology Graduate, McGill University Faculty of Psychology, Montreal, Canada
INTRODUCTION: There are insufficient studies on the combined effect of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation (SII) index and monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) on plaque status and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) occurrence. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using NLR, SII index and MHR, which are preferable markers in terms of favorable cost/benefit ratio and easy measurement, to monitor and evaluate the severity of the disease, considering that CVD is an inflammatory disease.
METHODS: Two thousand two hundred seventy-three patients presenting with complaints of shortness of breath or chest pain who were followed up in the Cardiovascular Surgery outpatient clinic of Gaziosmanpaşa Training and Research Hospital between January 2024 and October 2024 were retrospectively included in the study.
RESULTS: Lymphocyte levels were significantly higher in the deceased patients (p=0.02). Conversely, the NLR and the SII were higher in the surviving patients compared to the deceased patients (p<0.001; p<0.001). LDL levels and plaque status were statistically significantly different between the groups. Patients in the moderate-risk group had significantly lower LDL levels compared to those in the mild-risk group (p<0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MHR, a novel biomarker derived from the inflammatory marker monocyte and the antiatherogenic HDL, may be associated with CAD. Given that CVD is an inflammatory disease, NLR, SII and MHR may be preferable in terms of favorable cost/benefit ratio and easy measurement. These markers can also be calculated practically and inexpensively from whole blood and HDL values, which are routine tests that can be performed in primary health care centers. It also demonstrates NLR and MHR are associated with plaque formation in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease.
Manuscript Language: English