Association of lymphopenia and RDW elevation with risk of mortality in acute aortic dissection

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate whether lymphopenia and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) elevation are associated with an increased risk of mortality in acute aortic dissection (AAD). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolled patients diagnosed with AAD by aortic computed tomographic angiography (CTA) from 2010 to 2021 in five teaching hospitals in central-western China. Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were used in univariable and multivariable models. Clinical outcomes were defined as all-cause in-hospital mortality, while associations were evaluated between lymphopenia, accompanied by an elevated RDW, and risk of mortality. RESULTS: Of 1903 participants, the median age was 53 (interquartile range [IQR], 46–62) years, and females accounted for 21.9%. Adjusted increased risk of mortality was linearly related to the decreasing lymphocyte percentage (P-non-linearity = 0.942) and increasing RDW (P-non-linearity = 0.612), and per standard deviation (SD) of increment lymphocyte percentage and RDW was associated with the 26% (0.74, 0.64–0.84) decrement and 5% (1.05, 0.95–1.15) increment in hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of mortality, respectively. Importantly, lymphopenia and elevation of RDW exhibited a significant interaction with increasing the risk of AAD mortality (P-value for interaction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Lymphopenia accompanied by the elevation of RDW, which may reflect the immune dysregulation of AAD patients, is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Assessment of immunological biomarkers derived from routine tests may provide novel perspectives for identifying the risk of mortality.