Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Cytokine Profiling as Predictors of Disease Severity and Survival in Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients

• Published in: Vaccines (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 8; p. 861
• Main Authors: Méndez Rodríguez, Miguel Leonardo, Ponciano-Gómez, Alberto, Campos-Aguilar, Myriam, Tapia-Sánchez, Wilfrido David, Duarte-Martínez, Carlos Leonardo, Romero-Herrera, Jesús Salvador, Olivas-Quintero, Sandra, Saucedo-Campos, Alberto Daniel, Méndez-Cruz, Adolfo Rene, Jimenez-Flores, Rafael, Ortiz-Navarrete, Vianney, Romero-Ramírez, Hector, Santos-Argumedo, Leopoldo, Rosales-García, Victor Hugo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 31.07.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Blood; Clinical outcomes; Counting; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; CXCL10 protein; cytokine profiling; Cytokines; Disease; Flow cytometry; Hematology; Hospitalization; Hospitals; immunological biomarkers; Infectious diseases; Inflammatory response; Interleukin 6; Intubation; Leukocytes; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Lymphocytes; Mechanical ventilation; Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR); Neutrophils; Pandemics; Pathogenesis; Patients; Public health; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Software; Survival; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Ventilation; Viral diseases; United States > US; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cytokines; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR); immunological biomarkers; cytokine profiling
• ISSN: 2076-393X; 2076-393X
• DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12080861

During the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying reliable biomarkers for predicting disease severity and patient outcomes in unvaccinated individuals is essential. This study evaluates the efficacy of key hematological markers, including leukocyte and neutrophil counts, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), and cytokine profiles (IL-6, INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-17A, CCL2, and CXCL10) for predicting the necessity for mechanical ventilation and assessing survival probabilities. We conducted an in-depth analysis on a cohort of COVID-19 patients, emphasizing the relationship between NLR, cytokine profiles, and clinical outcomes, utilizing routine leukocyte counting and cytokine quantification by flow cytometry. Elevated leukocyte and neutrophil counts, increased NLR, and significant cytokine elevations such as IL-6 and IL-10 were strongly associated with the need for mechanical ventilation, reflecting a pronounced systemic inflammatory response indicative of severe disease outcomes. Integrating hematological markers, particularly NLR and cytokine profiles, is crucial in predicting mechanical ventilation needs and survival in non-vaccinated COVID-19 patients. Our findings provide critical insights into the pathophysiology of COVID-19, supporting the development of more targeted clinical interventions and potentially informing future strategies for managing infectious disease outbreaks.