Evaluation of inflammation markers in mitral valve prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common cause of mitral regurgitation in developed countries. The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of MVP is still not clear. In this study, we aimed to investigate how inflammatory markers such as monocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet/neutrophil ratio (PLR) are affected in MVP patients.

In this retrospective study, we included 461 patients with MVP and 459 normal echocardiographic patients, matched with gender and age. Inflammatory markers and all variables were compared between the two groups.

There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, or body mass index between the two groups. Neutrophil counts (4,960 [3,900-6,780]. 4,200 [3,800-5,600], p < 0.001), NLR (2.488 [1.72-4.51], 1.857 [1.49-2.38], p < 0.001), MHR (14.9 [11.9-18.6], 12.2 [9.4-17.3], p = 0.003), PLR (122.4 [85-171], 104.4 [85-130], p < 0.001), and CRP (0.71 ± 0.50, 0.67 ± 0.33 p < 0.001) were significantly higher, and LMR (3.75 [2.75-5.09], 4.06 [3.12-4.83] p = 0.016) was significantly lower in the MVP group than the control group, respectively. In logistic regression analysis, NLR (odds ratio [OR]: 1.058 [1.047-1.072]; p < 0.001), LMR (OR: 1.560 [1.211-2.522]; p = 0.027), and PLR (OR: 1.015 [1.012-1.019]; p = 0.003) were found to be independent predictors for MVP presence.

These parameters can be used as a simple, low-cost, practical tool to detect inflammation in MVP.