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BackgroundInflammation plays a crucial role in cerebrovascular disease (CVD) progression. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an important inflammatory marker, though its diagnostic role in CVD is still under investigation. This study evaluates the relationship between NLR and short-term all-cause mortality in patients with CVD admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study using data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) (v2.2) database, including 4,327 adult ICU-admitted CVD patients. NLR values at admission were analyzed alongside various mortality variables. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan–Meier (K-M) survival curves assessed the relationship between NLR and short-term all-cause mortality. Predictive power, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of NLR for short-term mortality were investigated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Additionally, restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves and subgroup analyses were conducted.ResultsAmong the 4,327 patients, 3,600 survived (survival group) and 727 died (non-survival group) within 28 days of admission (mortality rate: 16.8%). A multivariate Cox regression analysis identified NLR as an independent predictor of 28-day all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.013; 95% confidence interval: 1.0086–1.0188; p

BackgroundSepsis is a life-threatening condition that requires rapid assessment to reduce mortality. This study investigates the relationship between the Neutrophil-to-Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio (NMLR) upon ICU admission and 28-day mortality in sepsis patients.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed using clinical data from sepsis patients in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV). Multivariate logistic regression, sensitivity analyses, and Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) models were employed to explore the relationship between ICU admission NMLR and 28-day mortality. Kaplan–Meier method and inverse probability weighting (IPW) were used to adjust for confounders and estimate survival outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve evaluating the predictive value of NLMR for 28-day mortality in ICU sepsis patients. Subgroup analyses considered factors like age, sex, race, comorbidities, and disease severity.ResultsIn total, 8,710 patients were included. Increased NMLR was associated with higher 28-day all-cause mortality, confirmed by multiple logistic regression models. In Model 3, after adjusting for confounders, each standard deviation increase in NMLR was associated with a 1.5% increase in 28-day mortality risk. Kaplan–Meier and IPW survival analyses showed higher 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with elevated NMLR levels at ICU admission compared to those with lower levels (p

PurposeA hypercoagulable state has been reported to cause potential sight-threatening ischemia in patients suffering from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine whether vessel density (VD), as measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), has insights into retinal and choriocapillaris vascular changes in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsHundred and fifty two patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled in this observational, retrospective, controlled study. A control group of 60 healthy subjects was selected for statistical comparisons. Raw OCT and OCT-A data were exported and 3D datasets were analyzed to determine VD.ResultsHundred and forty eyes (92.1%) were included for final analysis. The VD of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) did not differ between the two groups. The mean VD of the deep capillary plexus (DCP) and the choriocapillaris (CC) was significantly lower in the foveal sector of the COVID-19 group compared to healthy controls. Within the post-COVID-19 group, the lowest DCP and CC foveal VD values were recorded in patients treated with antiviral therapy; no differences were observed among COVID-19 patients with other comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease) or taking antiplatelet therapy. DCP and CC foveal VD were significantly lower in patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) than asymptomatic patients.ConclusionFoveal vessel density at the level of DCP and CC was reduced in post-COVID-19 patients. Further studies evaluating these changes over time will be needed to corroborate the hypothesis of a microvascular retinal impairment in individuals who have recently recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that requires rapid assessment to reduce mortality. This study investigates the relationship between the Neutrophil-to-Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio (NMLR) upon ICU admission and 28-day mortality in sepsis patients., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using clinical data from sepsis patients in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV). Multivariate logistic regression, sensitivity analyses, and Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) models were employed to explore the relationship between ICU admission NMLR and 28-day mortality. Kaplan-Meier method and inverse probability weighting (IPW) were used to adjust for confounders and estimate survival outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve evaluating the predictive value of NLMR for 28-day mortality in ICU sepsis patients. Subgroup analyses considered factors like age, sex, race, comorbidities, and disease severity., Results: In total, 8,710 patients were included. Increased NMLR was associated with higher 28-day all-cause mortality, confirmed by multiple logistic regression models. In Model 3, after adjusting for confounders, each standard deviation increase in NMLR was associated with a 1.5% increase in 28-day mortality risk. Kaplan-Meier and IPW survival analyses showed higher 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with elevated NMLR levels at ICU admission compared to those with lower levels ( p  < 0.0001, p  = 0.031). RCS models suggested a potential non-linear relationship between NMLR and 28-day mortality. ROC curve for the NMLR model, with an AUC of 0.658 (95% CI: 0.642-0.673). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the association even after excluding patients with myocardial infarction and severe liver disease., Conclusion: Elevated NMLR at ICU admission is significantly associated with increased 28-day all-cause mortality in sepsis patients, suggesting its potential as an early prognostic indicator for risk assessment and intervention., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xia, Xu, Xie, Niu, Cai, Zhan, Wu and Yao.)

Introduction: The value of inflammatory biomarkers in the diagnosis of bacterial infection induced acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is currently unclear. Our objective was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of on-admission inflammatory biomarkers in differentiating bacterial origin in AECOPD.Methods: Systematic literature search was performed to include cross-sectional studies on AECOPD patients with microbiological culture results as gold standard, and at least one on-admission inflammatory biomarker determined from serum: C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, eosinophil percentage, CD64index; or sputum: neutrophil elastase, tumor necrosis factor alfa, interleukin-1-beta (IL-1b), interleukin-8, sputum color, as index tests. We ranked index tests by superiority indices in a network meta-analysis and also calculated pooled sensitivity and specificity.Results: Altogether, 21 eligible articles reported data on 2,608 AECOPD patients (44% bacterial). Out of the 14 index tests, sputum IL-1b showed the highest diagnostic performance with a pooled sensitivity of 74% (CI: 26–97%) and specificity of 65% (CI: 19–93%). Pooled sensitivity for CRP and PCT were: 67% (CI: 54–77%) and 54% (CI: 39–69%); specificity 62% (CI: 52–71%) and 71% (CI: 59–79%), respectively.Conclusion: Admission inflammatory biomarkers are inaccurate indicators of bacterial infection in AECOPD.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#myprospero, identifier: 42020161301.

Purpose: A hypercoagulable state has been reported to cause potential sight-threatening ischemia in patients suffering from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine whether vessel density (VD), as measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), has insights into retinal and choriocapillaris vascular changes in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection., Methods: Hundred and fifty two patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled in this observational, retrospective, controlled study. A control group of 60 healthy subjects was selected for statistical comparisons. Raw OCT and OCT-A data were exported and 3D datasets were analyzed to determine VD., Results: Hundred and forty eyes (92.1%) were included for final analysis. The VD of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) did not differ between the two groups. The mean VD of the deep capillary plexus (DCP) and the choriocapillaris (CC) was significantly lower in the foveal sector of the COVID-19 group compared to healthy controls. Within the post-COVID-19 group, the lowest DCP and CC foveal VD values were recorded in patients treated with antiviral therapy; no differences were observed among COVID-19 patients with other comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease) or taking antiplatelet therapy. DCP and CC foveal VD were significantly lower in patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) than asymptomatic patients., Conclusion: Foveal vessel density at the level of DCP and CC was reduced in post-COVID-19 patients. Further studies evaluating these changes over time will be needed to corroborate the hypothesis of a microvascular retinal impairment in individuals who have recently recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chiosi, Campagna, Rinaldi, Manzi, dell'Omo, Fiorentino, Toro, Tranfa, D'Andrea, Rejdak and Costagliola.)