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Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, a critical predictor for assessment of disease severity in patients with COVID‐19
Author(s) -
Liu Lei,
Zheng Yaqiong,
Cai Liping,
Wu Wanlei,
Tang Shi,
Ding Yinjuan,
Liu Wanbing,
Kou Guomei,
Xiong Zhou,
Wang Shengdian,
Zheng Shangen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of laboratory hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.705
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1751-553X
pISSN - 1751-5521
DOI - 10.1111/ijlh.13374
Subject(s) - procalcitonin , medicine , gastroenterology , neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio , covid-19 , lymphocyte , severity of illness , disease , lactate dehydrogenase , immunology , sepsis , biology , biochemistry , infectious disease (medical specialty) , enzyme
Monitoring of laboratory indicators is important for predicting changes in disease severity and clinical outcomes. We aimed to identify the critical predictors that can effectively assess the disease conditions of patients with COVID‐19 by analyzing the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Methods All consecutive patients (n = 294) with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection admitted to the General Hospital of Central Theater Command of the PLA from February 6 to February 21, 2020, were enrolled. These patients were divided into the severe group and the nonsevere group according to disease severity during hospitalization. Results The median neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) value of the severe patients was dramatically higher than that of the nonsevere patients (10.4 vs 2.6; P < .001). The NLR value equal to 5 was a boundary value worthy of reference, because more than 80% severe patients had an NLR value greater than 5 and over 80% nonsevere patients had an NLR value less than 5. The NLR value of these COVID‐19 patients was positively and respectively correlated with the values of C‐reactive protein ( R = .5921, P < .001), lactate dehydrogenase ( R = .4509, P < .001), procalcitonin ( R = .5504, P < .001), fibrinogen ( R = .4710, P < .001), and D‐dimers ( R = .4425, P < .001). However, the NLR value was merely and positively correlated with the interleukin‐6 value ( R = .3594, P < .05), but had no correlations with the values of interleukin‐10, interleukin‐4, interleukin‐17, interferon‐γ, and tumor necrosis factor‐α ( P > .05). Discussion Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio is a critical predictor for assessment of disease severity in patients with COVID‐19, and it has a close relation with the laboratory indicators related to disease conditions.