Peripheral differential leukocyte counts and subsequent mortality from all diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases in Taiwanese.
OBJECTIVE
A higher total leukocyte count has been reported to predict all-cause mortality in men, but data are limited for this relation in women and for the relation between differential leukocyte counts and all-cause mortality in both men and women. This study was designed to analyze these relationships in Taiwanese.


METHODS
A total of 8447 subjects were enrolled from participants in a physical check-up program at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1995 to 1997. Information on mortality was obtained from a national mortality databank that was updated to the end of 2001. Data were analyzed by Student's t test and Cox regression analysis.


RESULTS
Among the 245 deaths, 88 were due to cancer and 62 were due to cardiovascular diseases. Cox regression analysis revealed an inverse association between lymphocyte count and all-cause mortality in the study group as a whole (all subjects, p < 0.01, hazard ratio = 0.73). This inverse association was mainly due to an inverse association between lymphocyte count and cancer mortality (p < 0.05, hazard ratio = 0.64), especially the mortality from hepatoma (p = 0.010, hazard ratio = 0.29). The latter hazard ratio of 0.29 indicates that, in all subjects, every decrease of 1.0 x 10(9)/L in lymphocyte count increased the risk of mortality from hepatoma by 3.45-fold during an average follow-up period of 65.5 months. There was a positive association between total leukocyte count and all-cause mortality in men (p < 0.05, hazard ratio = 1.10), mainly due to both the neutrophil and monocyte counts having positive associations with the cardiovascular mortality (both p < 0.05, hazard ratio = 1.23 and 1.22, respectively). The latter hazard ratio of 1.22 indicates that, in men, every increase of 0.1 x 10(9)/L in monocyte count increased the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 1.22-fold.


CONCLUSIONS
In Taiwanese adults of both genders, a lower lymphocyte count is associated with cancer mortality, especially mortality from hepatoma. In Taiwanese men, higher neutrophil and monocyte counts are associated with cardiovascular mortality.
Huang
Zei-Shung
ZS
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chien
Kuo-Liong
KL
Yang
Chi-Yu
CY
Wang
Chiu-Hwa
CH
Chang
Tien-Chun
TC
Chen
Chien-Jen
CJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology