title: High neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in type A acute aortic dissection facilitates diagnosis and predicts worse outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors investigated whether neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L) can contribute to the diagnosis and risk assessment in patients with type A acute aortic dissection (AAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors studied 120 consecutive patients with type A AAD (group I) and compared them with 121 consecutive patients with chronic aneurysms (group II) and 121 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (group III).
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that white blood cell count, N/L, D-dimer and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in group I versus both groups II and III (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). White blood cell count and D-dimer were much higher in patients who died compared to survivors in group I (p = 0.023 and p = 0.033, respectively). A cutoff value of N/L >4.6 was associated with 0.89 sensitivity and 0.91 specificity for AAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High N/L may contribute to the diagnostic evaluation and prompt immediate therapy in patients with type A AAD.
authors.affiliation: Second Division of Interventional Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eftihia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sbarouni
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Georgiadou
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Analitis
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Voudris
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: acute aortic dissection; biomarkers; chronic aneurysms; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio