title: Higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is related to a lower ejectionfraction in bicuspid aortic valve patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of vascular disease. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the associations of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR; an indicator of inflammation) with left ventricular ejection fraction and ascending aorta diameter in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty-nine consecutive patients with the diagnosis of BAV were enrolled in the study. Complete blood counts were analyzed for neutrophil and lymphocyte levels and NLR. The subjects were separated into two groups based on their ascending aorta diameter. The patients with ascending aorta diameter equal to or above 3.9 cm were included in group 1 whereas those with ascending aorta diameter below 3.9 cm were included in group 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When the results were compared, it was demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between NLR and ascending aorta diameter (r: 0.485, P = 0.026), whereas there was a negative correlation between NLR and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (r: 0.475, P = 0.030), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (r: 0.482, P = 0.027), and left ventricular ejection fraction (r: -0.467, P = 0.033) in BAV patients with ascending aorta dilatation (group 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NLR is associated with ascending aorta diameter and left ventricular ejection fraction in BAV patients with ascending aorta dilatation.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Hacı Ahmet
authors: HA
authors: Kasapkara
authors: Department of Cardiology, Atatürk Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Abdullah Nabi
authors: AN
authors: Aslan
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Hüseyin
authors: H
authors: Ayhan
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Murat Can
authors: MC
authors: Güney
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Akçay
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Zeynep Şeyma
authors: ZŞ
authors: Turinay
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Tahir
authors: T
authors: Durmaz
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Telat
authors: T
authors: Keleş
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Engin
authors: E
authors: Bozkurt
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities; D000082882:Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes; D009504:Neutrophils
keywords: Bicuspid aortic valve; ascending aorta dilatation; left ventricular ejection fraction; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio