International Journal of COPD (Nov 2024)
Stability of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Its Relationship with Clinical Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Abstract
Minjie Jiang,1,2 Yulong Yang,2 Haoyan Wang1 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100032, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Hebei Yanda Hospital, Langfang, Hebei, 065201, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Haoyan Wang, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong’an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100032, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: More studies have focused on the clinical value of the measurement of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). This study aims to assess the stability of NLR in hospitalized AECOPD patients and its relationship with clinical prognosis.Methods: This retrospective observational study recruited patients hospitalized with AECOPD from January 2020 to December 2023. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, we determined the optimal NLR cutoff, categorizing NLR stability into four groups: persistent high (NLR ≥ 3.8), increased (NLR 14 days, and hospital cost, compared to the persistent low group. Compared to the persistent high group, the persistent low group (HR: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.10– 0.24) and the decreased group (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.22– 0.73) are statistically significant for the risk of death, while the increased group (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.37– 1.04) does not show a statistically significant difference.Conclusion: AECOPD patients who have persistent low NLR group face a low risk of adverse hospital outcomes and mortality after 6 months after discharge. The stability of NLR may serve as a novel biomarker for identifying AECOPD patients at increased risk of poor hospital outcomes.Keywords: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, outcomes