title: Association Between Hematological Indices and Coronary Calcification in Symptomatic Patients without History of Coronary Artery Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) has long been shown to involve chronic low-grade subclinical inflammation. However, whether there is association between hematological indices assessed by complete blood count (CBC) and coronary atherosclerotic burden has not been well studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive 868 patients without known CAD who presented with acute chest pain to emergency department and underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring evaluation by multi-detector cardiac computed tomography were included in our study. Clinical characteristics and CBC indices were compared among different CAC groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cohort comprised 60% male with a mean age of 61 (SD = 14) years. Median Framingham risk of CAD was 4% (range 1-16%). Median CAC score was 0 (IQR 0-43). Higher CAC groups had significantly higher Framingham risk of CAD than lower CAC groups (P < 0.001). Among different CAC categories, there was no statistically significant difference in hemoglobin level (p 0.45), mean corpuscular volume (p 0.43), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (p 0.28), mean corpuscular hemoglobin volume (p 0.36), red cell distribution width (0.42), total white blood cell counts (p 0.291), neutrophil counts (p 0.352), lymphocyte counts (p 0.92), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (p 0.68), monocyte count (p 0.48), and platelet counts (p 0.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study did not detect significant association between hematological indices assessed with CBC and coronary calcification in symptomatic patients without known CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Kongkiat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chaikriangkrai
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Mahwash
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Sama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alchalabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Sayf Khaleel
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bala
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Rosalyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adigun
authors.affiliation: Department of Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Sharleen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Botero
authors.affiliation: Department of Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Su Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chang
keywords: Coronary artery disease; Inflammation; Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; Red cell distribution width; White blood cell