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The lymph index: a potential hematological parameter for viral infection
1Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
Summary
The lymph index, a novel parameter derived from hematology analyzers, shows significant increases in viral infections. This objective measure offers high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing viral infections, distinguishing them from bacterial infections.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Pathology
Background:
- Leukocyte cell population data (CPD) from VCS technology provide morphologic insights.
- Previous studies showed lymphocyte CPD changes in hepatitis B virus infection.
- A simplified lymph index was proposed for clinical utility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the lymph index.
- To assess the lymph index in various viral and acute bacterial infections.
- To determine the diagnostic potential of the lymph index for viral infections.
Main Methods:
- Collected peripheral blood from 72 viral infection patients, 46 bacterial infection patients, and 204 controls.
- Calculated the lymph index using mean lymphocyte volume (LV), its standard deviation (LV-SD), and conductivity (LC).
- Lymph index formula: LV × LV-SD ÷ LC.
Main Results:
- The lymph index was significantly elevated in viral infections compared to controls.
- A mild increase in the lymph index was observed in acute bacterial infections.
- A cutoff value of ≥ 12.92 yielded 91.67% sensitivity and 97.2% specificity for viral infection diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- The lymph index is a quantitative, objective, and rapid parameter.
- Morphological parameters are readily obtainable via automated leukocyte differentials.
- The lymph index shows potential as a hematological marker for viral infections.
