Endothelial dysfunction in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism: neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio.
OBJECTIVE
Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a common cardiovascular emergency. Activated leukocytes may produce free oxygen radicals and endothelial damage, and, thereby, increased inflammation and thrombogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate endothelial dysfunction in patients with PTE.


METHODS
Between May 2012 and July 2013, a total of 71 patients with acute PTE (32 males, 39 females; mean age: 64.94 ± 15.27 years; range: 33 to 87 years) who were admitted to the Emergency and Thoracic Diseases Departments and 56 healthy controls (44 males, 12 females; mean age: 62.52 ± 9.80 years; range: 46 to 79 years) were included. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BFMD) was performed. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated.


RESULTS
Significantly higher BFMD values were observed in patients with PTE (P < 0.05). Patients with PTE also had significantly higher NLR and PLR values, compared with the healthy control group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study suggest that using non-invasive method such as ultrasonography combined with NLR and PLR in endothelial dysfunction diagnosis in PTE patients are both effective and inexpensive. We believe in PTE patients endothelial dysfunction may play a role in the development of probable cardiovascular events in future.
Department of Chest Diseases, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
Ercan
E
Kurtipek
Department of Cardiology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
Zafer
Z
Büyükterzi
Department of Radiology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
Meral
M
Büyükterzi
Department of Cardiology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
Mehmet Sertaç
MS
Alpaydın
Department of Biochemistry, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
Said Sami
SS
Erdem
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004727:Endothelium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D010976:Platelet Count; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography
brachial artery flow-mediated dilation; endothelial dysfunction; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio; platelet to lymphocyte ratio