The Value of the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in the Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections

NCT ID: NCT02848534

Last Updated: 2018-08-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 479 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2016-02-06
• Study Completion Date: 2016-09-12

Brief Summary

The "gold standard" for diagnosing a bacterial infection is isolation of the pathogenic germ, which is not easy in routine clinical practice.

Conventional markers do not have sufficient diagnostic value for making a rapid diagnosis on admission. A 2004 literature calculated the diagnostic values of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels for the diagnosis of bacterial infections, relative to other causes of inflammation. For CRP, the sensitivity was 75% (95% CI: 62%-84%) and the specificity was 67% (95% CI: 56%-77%). For PCT, the sensitivity was 88% (95% CI: 62%-84%) and the specificity was 81% (95% CI: 67%-90%).

The first cellular immune response to infection consists of the mobilization of polynuclear neutrophils from the bone marrow to the infection site under the effect of pre-inflammatory cytokines, as well as the apoptosis of lymphocytes and their sequestration at the infection site. This results in lymphopenia and the elevated polynuclear neutrophil count (PNN) observed in bacterial infections.

Hence, it is legitimate to hypothesize that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be used in the diagnosis of bacterial infection. This ratio's value in the diagnosis of sepsis in the emergency department was studied and the researchers found higher diagnostic values than for CRP and PCT.

The NLR's potential value in the diagnosis of a bacterial infection in a context of fever or hyperthermia (regardless of the presence or absence of bacteraemia) has not been studied before. This ratio could also be compared with standard biomarkers (CRP and PCT levels, the white blood cell count and the PNN).

Conditions

Bacterial Infections

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE

Interventions

neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio

value of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in the diagnosis of bacterial infections

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• All consecutive patients admitted for fever/inflammatory syndrome to the internal medicine department at Amiens University Hospital between January 1 st 2011 and December 31 st 2014 (hyperthermia > 38°5 and/or inflammatory syndrome, defined as an increase in CRP >10 mg/L).

Exclusion Criteria

• Known conditions or treatments that may influence the blood count (haematological and neoplastic diseases, seropositivity for HIV, chemotherapy, and corticotherapy).
• Pregnancy.
• A course of antibiotics administered in the 48 hours before the
• blood count (risk of sample negativity).

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Jean Schmidt, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

CHU Amiens

Locations

CHU Amiens Picardie

Amiens, , France

Countries

France

Other Identifiers

RNI2015-40 Schmidt-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id