Relation of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio with the presence and severity of stable coronary artery disease.

Objectives: We examined the association between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the complexity of coronary artery disease assessed by SYNTAX score (SS).

Methods: The study population included patients with chest pain who had undergone coronary angiography for stable angina pectoris. Patients were classified depending on whether the SS was 0 or SS > 0.

Results: Left ventricular ejection fraction, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and NLR were found to be the independent predictors of high SS in multivariate analysis. The area under the receiver-operating curve of NLR was 0.72 (0.65-0.80, P < .001) for predicting high SS. The optimal cutoff value of NLR to predict high SS was 2.7 (sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 61%). There was a significant correlation between NLR ratio and continuous SS (r = .552, P < .001).

Conclusion: The NLR is a readily measurable systemic inflammatory marker and is associated with both the presence and the complexity of coronary artery disease.