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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
High-throughput Detection Method for Influenza Virus
Published on: February 4, 2012
Routine blood parameters are helpful for early identification of influenza infection in children
Ronghe Zhu1, Cuie Chen2, Qiu Wang1
1Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, South Baixiang, Ouhai District, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
Insights
Routine blood tests can help identify influenza in children. The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) showed strong predictive value, especially in older children with influenza A virus infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Hematology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Routine blood parameters are utilized for predicting infectious disease outcomes.
- The study investigates the utility of these parameters for early influenza detection in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of routine blood parameters in the early identification of influenza virus infection in pediatric patients.
- To determine the predictive value of lymphocyte count, platelet count, LMR, NLR, LYM*PLT, and MPV/PLT for influenza in children.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, observational study was conducted on pediatric outpatients with influenza-like symptoms.
- Blood parameters were analyzed within 48 hours of fever onset to assess their predictive value for PCR-confirmed influenza.
Main Results:
- Children with influenza showed lower lymphocyte (LYM) counts, platelet (PLT) counts, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios (LMR), and LYM*PLT, with higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) and MPV/PLT.
- The LMR demonstrated significant predictive value, with specific cutoff values, sensitivities, and specificities identified for influenza A and B in different age groups (1-6 years and >6 years).
- The area under the curve (AUC) for LMR was high, particularly in children over 6 years old predicting influenza A infection (AUC=0.949).
Conclusions:
- Simple and inexpensive routine blood tests can aid in the early identification of influenza virus infection in children.
- The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) is a highly valuable indicator for early influenza diagnosis in children over one year old, especially for influenza A in those over six years.
Background:
Routine blood parameters, such as the lymphocyte (LYM) count, platelet (PLT) count, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocytes multiplied by platelets (LYM*PLT) and mean platelet volume-to-platelet ratio (MPV/PLT), are widely used to predict the prognosis of infectious diseases. We aimed to explore the value of these parameters in the early identification of influenza virus infection in children.
Methods:
We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study of fever with influenza-like symptoms in pediatric outpatients from different age groups and evaluated the predictive value of various routine blood parameters measured within 48 h of the onset of fever for influenza virus infection.
Results:
The LYM count, PLT count, LMR and LYM*PLT were lower, and the NLR and MPV/PLT were higher in children with an influenza infection (PCR-confirmed and symptomatic). The LYM count, LMR and LYM*PLT in the influenza infection group were lower in the 1- to 6-year-old subgroup, and the LMR and LYM*PLT in the influenza infection group were lower in the > 6-year-old subgroup. In the 1- to 6-year-old subgroup, the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza A virus infection was 3.75, the sensitivity was 81.87%, the specificity was 84.31%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.886; the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza B virus infection was 3.71, the sensitivity was 73.58%, the specificity was 84.31%, and the AUC was 0.843. In the > 6-year-old subgroup, the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza A virus infection was 3.05, the sensitivity was 89.27%, the specificity was 89.61%, and the AUC was 0.949; the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza B virus infection was 2.88, the sensitivity was 83.19%, the specificity was 92.21%, and the AUC was 0.924.
Conclusions:
Routine blood tests are simple, inexpensive and easy to perform, and they are useful for the early identification of influenza virus infection in children. The LMR had the strongest predictive value for influenza virus infection in children older than 1 year, particularly in children older than 6 years with influenza A virus infection.
