Association of neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratios with inflammation and survival in Mexican patients on chronic hemodialysis

Abstract Introduction Neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are markers of systemic inflammatory status. The relationship between NLR, PLR, and mortality is controversial among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Objective Evaluate NLR and PLR in the prediction of mortality in chronic HD patients. Materials and methods We analyzed 130 patients with a follow‐up for 66 months. Four groups were established according to NLR–PLR values. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards analysis were used. Results NLR–PLR correlated positively with C‐reactive protein. Cox regression analysis for overall mortality among the four groups included age (HR 1.027, 95% CI 1.003–1.053) and albumin (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.073–0.85). For cardiovascular (CV) mortality only pulse pressure differential (PPD) was included (HR 1.033; 95% CI 1.014–1.052). Low NLRs and high PLRs were associated with CV mortality (Log Rank test, p = 0.033). Conclusions Low NLRs and high PLRs predict the risk of CV mortality among HD patients.