title: Carotid intima-media thickness in patients with slow coronary flow and its association with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio: a preliminary report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The slow coronary flow (SCF) is characterized by angiographically normal or near-normal coronary arteries with delayed progression of the contrast agent into distal vasculature. We aimed to investigate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio and the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) value in patients with SCF compared to patients with newly diagnosed coronary artery disease (CAD) and normal patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 60 consecutive patients with SCF, 68 patients with CAD, and 72 normal patients. The association between thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count, CIMT, and N/L ratio and other clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The N/L ratio was significantly higher not only in patients with SCF but also in patients with CAD, compared to those of controls. The N/L ratio was positively and moderately correlated with CIMT in the whole study population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NL ratio is significantly associated with reduced coronary blood flow, and elevated N/L ratio might be an independent predictor for the presence of SCF.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cingoz
authors.forename: Atila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iyisoy
authors.forename: Sait
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirkol
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Sevket
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balta
authors.forename: Turgay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unlu
authors.forename: Zekeriya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cakar
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kucuk
authors.forename: Seref
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirbas
authors.forename: Necmettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kocak
mesh_terms: D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: carotid intima-media thickness; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; slow coronary flow