A novel marker of persistent left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy: monocyte count- to- HDL cholesterol ratio

BACKGROUND: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy. There is limited data regarding the predictors of persistent left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Recently, monocyte-to-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio (MHR) has emerged as a novel indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress. We aimed to assess the predictive value of MHR on LV recovery in patients with PPCM. METHODS: A total of 64 patients with PPCM who admitted to our tertiary reference hospital between 2009 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Demographic and clinical data, laboratory parameters and echocardiographic findings were recorded. The duration of follow-up was at least 12 months after diagnosis for all participants. Recovery of LV systolic function was defined as the presence of LV ejection fraction (LV EF) > 45%. Univariate analysis was used to determine the significant predictors of persistent LV systolic dysfunction (non-recovery). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to establish the cut-off values for predictors. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 72.1 ± 5.5 months. Of the 64 patients, 35 (55%) had persistent LVSD at their last follow-up while 29 (45%) showed LV EF improvement. The baseline MHR levels were significantly higher in the non-recovery group (P < 0.001). In univariate analysis, increased MHR levels (odds ratio:1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.35; P < 0.001) significantly predicted LV non-recovery. Using a cut-off level of 9.73, MHR predicted persistent LV systolic dysfunction with a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 79%. Besides, lower baseline LVEF increased WBC and CRP levels were identified as predictors of LV non-recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Our data firstly indicated that elevated MHR was a significant predictor of persistent LV systolic dysfunction in PPCM. The MHR might contribute to determining high-risk patients with PPCM.