Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio Predict Severity and Prognosis of Lower Limb Arteriosclerosis Obliterans

Abstract

Background: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are 2 markers of inflammation, which are associated with worse cardiovascular disease outcomes. Here, we aimed to determine the association between these ratios and disease severity and evaluate predictive validity of the NLR and PLR in lower limb arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO).

Methods: We evaluated 211 patients with a diagnosis of ASO from January 2016 to December 2018 at Shanghai Jiaotong University Renji Hospital. The NLR and PLR were accessed from routinely drawn peripheral venous blood at the ward of vascular surgery during hospitalization. The association between the NLR and PLR with baseline characteristics, disease severity, and one-year outcomes were determined, respectively.

Results: Both the NLR and PLR showed significant values on predicting disease severity. A higher NLR (P = 0.001) and PLR (P < 0.001) were associated with lower ankle-brachial index and worse clinical presentation. Both the NLR and PLR are positively correlated with one-year readmission rate (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). Both the NLR and PLR also positively correlated with the tissue loss rate and one-year mortality (P = 0.007, P = 0.034, respectively).

Conclusions: The NLR and PLR show a positive association with the severity of lower extremity peripheral artery disease, both higher ratios correlate with poor prognosis, especially, the risk of one-year readmission. A higher NLR also correlates with one-year mortality.