Association between platelet lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and clinical outcomes following carotid endarterectomy

BACKGROUND: Approximately 30% of stroke cases result from carotid disease. Although several risk factors for complications after carotid endarterectomy have been identified, the existence of a biomarker that can estimate postoperative risk in these patients has not yet been proven. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate correlations between the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and postoperative clinical outcomes in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted, including 374 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy between 2002 and 2019 due to moderate to high extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis. Their platelet-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios were obtained from the same blood samples. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant correlation between the PLR and the occurrence of restenosis (p < 0.01) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after endarterectomy (p = 0.03). Additionally, there was a statistically significant correlation between the PLR and the combined outcomes stroke and/or AMI and/or death (p = 0.03) and stroke and/or AMI and/or death and/or restenosis (p < 0.01). However, there were no significant correlations between NLR and these outcomes (p = 0.05, p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: The platelet-lymphocyte ratio proved to be a useful test for predicting occurrence of strokes, acute myocardial infarctions, and deaths during the postoperative period after carotid endarterectomy. It was also associated with the risk of postoperative restenosis.