Evaluation of the neutrophil-leukocyte index in patients with cardiac disorders and new coronavirus infection

Abstract

Background: The neutrophil-leukocyte index (NLI) is an independent predictor of an unfavorable outcome in stable ischemic heart disease, as well as of mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes and uncontrolled heart failure. A number of studies have shown the informative value of NLI for the prediction of severe course of COVID-19. NLI variability in COVID-19 with comorbid baseline physical diseases and cardiovascular disorders in particular, has not been studied. Aim: To evaluate the clinical value of NLI in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 depending on their concomitant cardiac disorders. Materials and methods: In this retrospective quantitative study we have analyzed the data from medical files of the patients with the diagnosis of new coronavirus infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, treated in a specialized in-patient department of infectious diseases in 2020 to 2022. Previously diagnosed cardiac disorders were defined as any past history of these disorders. The results of instrumental and laboratory work-up were assessed before treatment. Results: The analysis included 226 patients with median age of 50.0 (Q1Q3: 42.063.0) years, with 81.4% (n = 184) of them being men. Ninety four (41.6%) patients had no previously diagnosed cardiovascular disorders. Arterial hypertension by the time of admittance was present in 132 (58.4%), ischemic heart disease, in 77 (34.1%), atherosclerotic and/or post-infarct cardiosclerosis, in 82 (36.3%), and chronic heart failure, in 77 (34.1%) of the patients. In the total study group (n = 226) the median NLI was 2.6 (1.574.47). The larger was the volume of the lung involvement (assessed by computed tomography at admittance), the higher was NLI (p = 0.009, Kruskal-Wallis test). There was an association between the NLI value and the degree of respiratory failure (p 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). Median NLI in the patients with cardiac disorders (irrespective of their nosology) was significantly higher than that in the patients without any history of cardiovascular problems: 3.30 (2.095.42) versus 1.95 (1.423.62) (p 0.001, Mann-Whitney U-test). We found significant difference in the NLI values for each type of cardiac disorders, compared to that in the patients without history of cardiovascular disorders, including for the patients with arterial hypertension (p 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test), ischemic heart disease (p 0.001, Mann-Whitney U-test), atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis (p = 0.001, Mann-Whitney U-test), and chronic heart failure (p = 0.040, Kruskal-Wallis test). Conclusion: We have confirmed the contribution of cardiovascular disorders to the course of COVID-19 and the clinical value of NLI as a convenient laboratory marker of the severity of infectious disease.