title: The relation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and coronary chronic total occlusions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of systemic inflammation that correlates with cardiac events. This study assessed the association between NLR and the presence of chronic coronary total occlusion (CTO).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 225 patients, a control group (n = 75), a coronary artery disease group (n = 75), and a CTO group (n = 75). NLR was compared in the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NLR levels were significantly higher in the CTO than in the other two groups (p < 0.001). Bivariate correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between NLR and SYNTAX Score, and multivariate logistic regression analysis found that NLR was an independent predictor of CTO. ROC analysis showed that an NLR cut-off of 2.09 could distinguish between patients with and without CTO (AUC = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.68-0.81), with a specificity of 69.3% and a sensitivity of 61%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NLR may be useful as a marker of CTO.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Cardiology Department, Selcuk University, 42075 Konya, Turkey. drkenan76@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: Bulent Behlul
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Altunkeser
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Fikret
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keles
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ersecgin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors