The Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio is Associated with Different Stages of Development of Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Inflammation plays a role in coronary artery disease (CAD). The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are blood parameters associated with inflammation. We aimed to perform a systematic comparison and study the predictive values of these inflammatory parameters with respect to CAD stage. Method: A total of 513 patients who had undergone coronary angiography (CAG) were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical status, lipid profiles, CAG scans and hematological parameters were collected. NLR, MLR and PLR were calculated. All patients were classified into a normal coronary group (n=133), coronary atherosclerosis (CA) group (n=149), chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) group (n=175) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) group (n=56). NLR, MLR and PLR were compared among groups. Results: NLR and MLR were higher in the CCS and AMI groups. PLR was higher in the AMI group. The AMI group had higher NLR, PLR and MLR than the CCS group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that NLR (OR:1.227, 95% CI: 1.016–1.482. P<0.05) had a strong significant correlation with CAD. Area under the ROC curve of NLR was 0.580 (95% CI=0.516–0.644) in predicting CCS and 0.727 (95% CI=0.642–0.811) in predicting AMI. Conclusion: NLR may be associated with the occurrence and progression of CAD, and may serve as a marker of inflammation.