Vol. 5, Issue 1, Part A (2023)

Background: Previous reviews confirmed the fundamental relation between numerous hematologic variables particularly neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio and coronary artery disease (CAD). Predictive and more notable prognostic significance of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio has been clearly shown in several cardiac and vascular diseases. The goals of this research include determining the platelet to lymphocyte ratio's (PLR) values as a measure of the extent of coronary atherosclerosis, determining the correlation between PLR and atherosclerosis severity in CAD, and determining the PLR cut-off value that indicates severe CAD.
Methods: This case-controlled work was performed on 180 individuals planned for elective diagnostic coronary angiography. The participants were split into three equal groups regarding coronary angiography and Gensini score. Group I: 60 participants with normal coronary angiography and zero Gensini score. Group II: 60 participants with mild atherosclerotic CAD and Gensini scores of <25 points. Group III: 60 participants with severe atherosclerotic CAD and Gensini scores of ≥ 25 to detect the value of PLR as a predictor of severity of atherosclerosis of coronaries.
Results: A significant positive association was existed among PLR and Gensini score in the study participants (p <0.001). Regarding the diagnostic ability of PLR to forecast severe CAD, PLR is a significant predictor of severe CAD (AUC: 0.772, p <0.001). At a cut off value of >147, it has a sensitivity of 72%, specificity of 78%, PPV of 62% and NPV of 84%.
Conclusions: Strong positive correlation between PLR and Gensini scores was observed suggesting that PLR could be a valuable predictor for severity of coronary atherosclerosis at cutoff value of >147 with 72% sensitivity and 78% specificity that is crucial for practitioners to identify those who are most likely to develop severe CAD and who may require a more aggressive treatment strategy and intensive clinical follow-up.