Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio is a useful marker to predict the severity of preeclampsia

Abstract

Objectives: In this retrospective study, we investigated whether neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the last trimester among pregnancies with mild preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and healthy status has a role in predicting the severity of pre-eclampsia.Methods: This study involved 933 pregnancies from 1 January 2018 to 30 September 2020, comprising 396 healthy pregnancies, 222 pregnancies with mild preeclampsia, and 315 pregnancies with severe preeclampsia. The relationship between preeclampsia and NLR was analyzed by multiple logistic regression. In addition, maternal placental tissues of three groups were immunohistochemically stained for myeloperoxidase (MPO).Result: NLR was significantly higher in pregnancies with preeclampsia (including pregnancies with mild and severe preeclampsia.) than that in healthy pregnancies. The NLR level was prominently higher in patients with severe preeclampsia compared with those with mild preeclampsia (p<0.001). The NLR level was significantly positively associated with preeclampsia after adjusting for gestational week at time of blood sampling, BMI, and age (β:1.44; 95%CI:0.01-2.93; p=0.0014 < 0.05). In addition, MPO expressions of placental tissues in preeclamptic groups were significantly increased than these in healthy pregnant controls(P＜0.05). Conclusion: Increased NLR in the last trimester was significantly positively associated with preeclampsia. Hence, NLR plays a role in predicting the severity of preeclampsia. However, further studies are needed on a more extensive population to confirm the relationship between NLR and preeclampsia severity.