Journal of Cerebrovascular Disease 2019 Vol.2 No.1 1-32
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Novel Biomarker in Ischemic Stroke: A Literature Review
Author(s): Bei-Bei Yao1,Wen-Wen Du1,Xin Xia1,Xiao-Feng Cao1,Ming-Hua Wu1
Affiliation(s):
1Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
Corresponding Author: Ming-Hua Wu
Corresponding email(s): mhuawu@hotmail.com
Key Words: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; Ischemic stroke; Inflammation; Diagnosis; Stroke severity; Prognosis
Abstract:
Background: Ischemic stroke accounts for
approximately 80% of all cases of stroke and has the highest rates of
morbidity, disability, mortality, and recurrence. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio
(NLR) is a novel, feasible marker representing an integrated response to inflammation.
The purpose of the current review is to evaluate all available evidence from
clinical observational trials about the relationships between NLR and ischemic
stroke.
Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and
CNKI for clinical observational trials on NLR published up to August 1, 2018,
and made a brief summary about the predictive value of the correlation between
NLR and ischemic stroke.
Results: A high NLR is associated with
increased risk of developing stroke and is a new addition to the traditional
risk factors of atrial fibrillation and carotid artery stenosis. NLR on
admission is an independent predictor of short- and long-term mortality in
patients with acute ischemic stroke. In patients receiving recombinant tissue
plasminogen activator or endovascular treatments, high NLR was reported with
higher mortality or major disability.
Conclusion: NLR provides an easy, useful
method to predict the incidence, severity, and prognosis of ischemic stroke;
thus, it can emerge as a new potential target for anti-inflammatory treatment
and development of therapeutic strategies.