Monocyte to HDL and Neutrophil to HDL Ratios as Potential Ischemic Stroke Prognostic Biomarkers

Ischemic stroke (IS) exhibits significant heterogeneity in terms of etiology and pathophysiology. Several recent studies highlight the significance of inflammation in the onset and progression of IS. White blood cell subtypes, such as neutrophils and monocytes, participate in the inflammatory response in various ways. On the other hand, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) exhibit substantial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. Consequently, novel inflammatory blood biomarkers have emerged, such as neutrophil to HDL ratio (NHR) and monocyte to HDL ratio (MHR). Literature research of two databases (MEDLINE and Scopus) was conducted to identify all relevant studies published between 1 January 2012 and 30 November 2022 dealing with NHR and MHR as biomarkers for IS prognosis. Only full-text articles published in the English language were included. Thirteen articles have been traced and are included in the present review. Our findings highlight the utility of NHR and MHR as novel stroke prognostic biomarkers, the widespread application, and the calculation of which, along with their inexpensive cost, make their clinical application extremely promising.