The association between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and endothelial dysfunction in people living with HIV on stable antiretroviral therapy. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bianconi, Vanessa; Schiaroli, Elisabetta; Mannarino, Massimo R.; Sahebkar, Amirhossein; Paciosi, Francesco; Benedetti, Sara; Marini, Ettore; Pirro, Matteo; Francisci, Daniela
• Is Part Of: Expert review of anti-infective therapy. Volume 20:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 113
• Page End: 120
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Antiretroviral -- endothelial dysfunction -- HIV -- hs-CRP -- lymphocyte -- neutrophil -- NLR; Anti-infective agents -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.90461
• DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1933438
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1478-7210

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background: Residual inflammation is thought to promote endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease risk among people living with HIV (PLWH) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a putative marker of systemic inflammation, may be associated with endothelial dysfunction has not been investigated in PLWH on stable ART. Research design and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 210 PLWH (mean age 49 years, 79% males, 88/7/5% Caucasians/Africans/Hispanics) on long-term ART (median ART duration 8 years) were enrolled among those who were afferent to an Infectious Diseases outpatient clinic. The association between NLR and brachial flow-mediated dilation (bFMD) was analysed. Results: A curvilinear association was observed between logarithmic-NLR and logarithmic-bFMD (R square = 0.034, p = 0.027), with logarithmic-bFMD decreasing significantly with increasing logarithmic-NLR only in PLWH with high NLR (≥1.47, median NLR) (r = −0.369, p < 0.001). However, NLR had a poor accuracy in the prediction of low bFMD (≤4.55, median bFMD) in PLWH with high NLR (55% sensitivity, 80% specificity, Youden index 0.35 for NLR 2.20). Conclusions: Although there is an inverse association between NLR and bFMD among long-term ART-treated PLWH with high NLR, NLR has a low discriminatory ability toward endothelial dysfunction in this category of patients.