Prognostic value of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and death in patients with liver cirrhosis

Introduction. The search for markers reflecting immune disorders and their contribution to the progression of liver cirrhosis (LC) is very relevant. Aim. To study the possibility of using the “neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio” indicator as a predictor of the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and death. Materials and methods. For a retrospective clinical study, 225 case histories of patients with cirrhosis were selected from 2008 to 2018. Three groups were formed from them: group 1: patients with cirrhosis class A according to Child – Pugh (n = 24); group 2: patients with cirrhosis class B and C according to Child – Pugh (n = 201) and group 3: healthy individuals (n = 50). The prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) indicator in the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and death in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Results. Patients with LC had statistically significantly higher values of NLR compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.001). The NLR indicator is an independent risk factor and a statistically significant predictor of the development of SIRS in patients with LC. A NLR value > 3.59 had a sensitivity of 0.38 [95% CI: 0.28; 0.48] and specificity 0.93 [95% CI: 0.87; 0.97]. NLR served as a statistically significant predictor of death (p < 0.001). A NLR value > 4.5 had a sensitivity of 0.24 [95% CI: 0.15; 0.36] and specificity 0.97 [95% CI: 0.92; 0.99]. C onclusion. An NLR value of more than 3.59 increases the risk of developing SIRS in patients with cirrhosis, and an NLR value of more than 4.5 increases the risk of death.