MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS (MACE) IN STEMI PATIENTS WITH ELEVATED NEUTROPHIL-TO-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO UNDERGOING PRIMARY PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION-A STUDY IN PAKISTANI COHORT

Authors

  • Arshad Ali Cambridge University Hospital
  • Kheraj Mal SICVD Sukkur
  • Shahab Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Birmingham-UK
  • Muhammad Tehsin Raza SICVD Karachi-Pakistan
  • Qazi Najeebullah Amin Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar-Pakistan
  • Samiullah Cat. B Hospital, Dargai-Pakistan
  • Samiullah Shakir https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3938-6205

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55519/JAMC-S4-14610

Keywords:

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, STEMI, Major adverse cardiovascular events, Primary percutaneous coronary intervention, Risk stratification, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading cause of death globally, with approximately 20.5 million fatalities recorded in 2021, representing nearly one-third of all deaths.  Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a significant burden, accounting for 80% of these cases. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between an elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out at tertiary care cardiac center in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from December 2018 to May 2019. The study included 155 STEMI patients treated with PPCI. Patients with active infections, autoimmune disorders, hematologic malignancies, severe renal or hepatic impairment, or those receiving immunosuppressive therapy were excluded. NLR values were calculated from blood tests upon hospital admission, categorizing patients into two groups: those with elevated NLR (≥4.8) and those with lower NLR (<4.8). The primary outcome measured was in-hospital MACE, which included mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI). Statistical analysis involved univariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors of MACE. Results: Among the 155 patients, 39 (25.2%) experienced MACE. The incidence of MACE was significantly higher in the elevated NLR group (84.6%) compared to the non-elevated group (15.4%) (p = 0.001). Univariate analysis showed a strong correlation between high NLR and increased MACE risk (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.61–2.76; p = 0.001). Further multivariate analysis, after adjusting for confounding variables, confirmed NLR as an independent predictor of MACE (AOR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.57–2.74; p = 0.001). Conclusion: A high NLR serves as a significant predictor of MACE in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI. Due to its ease of measurement and cost-effectiveness, NLR could be a valuable biomarker for early risk assessment and targeted intervention in STEMI management.

References

1. Di Cesare M, Perel P, Taylor S, Kabudula C, Bixby H, Gaziano TA, et al. The Heart of the World. Global heart. 2024;19(1):11. DOI: 10.5334/gh.1288.

2. Akbar H, Foth C, Kahloon RA, et al. Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) [Updated 2024 Oct 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532281/.

3. Herrera CJ, Levenson BJ, Natcheva A, Lucca AC, Olsson K, Miki K, et al. Improving STEMI Management Internationally: Initial Report of the American College of Cardiology-Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative. JACC: Advances. 2025;4(1):101438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.101438.

4. Menhas S, Shehryar M, Saad M, Afridi A, Ali N, Khan A, et al. Distribution of Myocardial Infarction Regarding Hypertensive, Diabetes and Gender. 2022;16(12):667-.

5. Qayoom R, Naseer A, Khokhar MI, Aijaz S, Hanif B. Risk factor profile and outcomes in young patients presenting with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial Infarction. Europace. 2024;26(Suppl 1). DOI: 10.1093/europace/euae102.530.

6. Hao Y, Zhao D, Liu J, Liu J, Yang N, Huo Y, et al. Performance of Management Strategies With Class I Recommendations Among Patients Hospitalized With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in China. JAMA Cardiology. 2022;7(5):484-91. DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2022.0117 %J JAMA Cardiology.

7. Mulvihill NT, Foley JB. Inflammation in acute coronary syndromes. Heart. 2002;87(3):201-4. DOI: 10.1136/heart.87.3.201.

8. Buonacera A, Stancanelli B, Colaci M, Malatino L. Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio: An Emerging Marker of the Relationships between the Immune System and Diseases. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022;23(7). DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073636.

9. Zhang S, Diao J, Qi C, Jin J, Li L, Gao X, et al. Predictive value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc. Disord. 2018;18(1):75. DOI: 10.1186/s12872-018-0812-6.

10. Kaya MG, Akpek M, Lam YY, Yarlioglues M, Celik T, Gunebakmaz O, et al. Prognostic value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction undergoing primary coronary intervention: a prospective, multicenter study. Int. J. Cardiol. 2013;168(2):1154-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.11.074.

11. Ul Hussain H, Kumar KA, Zahid M, Husban Burney M, Khan Z, Asif M, et al. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic marker for cardiovascular outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024;103(26):e38692. DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038692.

12. Sharma DJ, Sr., Nath HJ, Batta A, Goala AK. Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Useful as a Cost-Effective Preliminary Prognostic Marker in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI): An Observational Study From a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northeast India. Cureus. 2023;15(3):e36885. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.36885.

13. Wang Y, Ju M, Chen C, Yang D, Hou D, Tang X, et al. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic marker in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients: a retrospective study. 2018. 2018;10(1):273-82. https://jtd.amegroups.org/article/view/18195.

14. Zhang X, Wei R, Wang X, Zhang W, Li M, Ni T, et al. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among individuals with hypertension. Cardiovasc. Diabetol. 2024;23(1):117. DOI: 10.1186/s12933-024-02191-5.

15. Zahorec R. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, past, present and future perspectives. Bratisl. Lek. Listy. 2021;122(7):474-88. DOI: 10.4149/bll_2021_078.

16. Sawant AC, Adhikari P, Narra SR, Srivatsa SS, Mills PK, Srivatsa SS. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predicts short- and long-term mortality following revascularization therapy for ST elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiol J. 2014;21(5):500-8. DOI: 10.5603/CJ.a2013.0148.

17. Pan W, Zhao D, Zhang C, Li W, Yu J, Wang S, et al. Application of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in predicting coronary blood flow and mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. J. Cardiol. 2015;66(1):9-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2014.10.014.

18. Her AY, Cho KI, Singh GB, An DS, Jeong YH, Koo BK, et al. Plaque characteristics and inflammatory markers for the prediction of major cardiovascular events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Int. J. Cardiovasc. Imaging. 2017;33(10):1445-54. DOI: 10.1007/s10554-017-1135-x.

19. Samad Z, Noorali AA, Farhad A, Awan S, Qureshi NQ, Mawani M, et al. Leveraging Clinical Digitized Data to Understand Temporal Characteristics and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarctions at a Tertiary Care Medical Centre in Pakistan from 1988–2018 – Methods and Results. Global heart. 2022. DOI: 10.5334/gh.1147.

20. Iqbal R, Jahan N, Hanif A. Epidemiology and Management Cost of Myocardial Infarction in North Punjab, Pakistan. Iranian Red Crescent medical journal. 2015;17(7):e13776. DOI: 10.5812/ircmj.13776v2.

21. Asada Y, Yamashita A, Sato Y, Hatakeyama K. Pathophysiology of atherothrombosis: Mechanisms of thrombus formation on disrupted atherosclerotic plaques. Pathol. Int. 2020;70(6):309-22. DOI: 10.1111/pin.12921.

22. Guo J, Huang Y, Pang L, Zhou Y, Yuan J, Zhou B, et al. Association of systemic inflammatory response index with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and degree of coronary stenosis: a cross-sectional study. BMC Cardiovasc. Disord. 2024;24(1):98. DOI: 10.1186/s12872-024-03751-z.

23. El Kazzi M, Rayner BS, Chami B, Dennis JM, Thomas SR, Witting PK. Neutrophil-Mediated Cardiac Damage After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Significance of Defining a New Target Cell Type for Developing Cardioprotective Drugs. Antioxidants & redox signaling. 2020;33(10):689-712. DOI: 10.1089/ars.2019.7928.

24. Tilley SL, Coffman TM, Koller BH. Mixed messages: modulation of inflammation and immune responses by prostaglandins and thromboxanes. J. Clin. Invest. 2001;108(1):15-23. DOI: 10.1172/jci13416.

25. Mikhael R, Hindoro E, Taner S, Lukito AAJMJoI. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for predictor of in-hospital mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis. 2020;29(2):172-82.

Downloads

Published

2024-12-16

How to Cite

1.
Ali A, Mal K, Shahab, Raza MT, Amin QN, Samiullah, et al. MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS (MACE) IN STEMI PATIENTS WITH ELEVATED NEUTROPHIL-TO-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO UNDERGOING PRIMARY PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION-A STUDY IN PAKISTANI COHORT. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad [Internet]. 2024 Dec. 16 [cited 2025 Jul. 16];36(4 (Suppl 1). Available from: https://jamc.ayubmed.edu.pk/index.php/jamc/article/view/14610