Large unstained cell (LUC) count as a predictor of carotid artery occlusion
Tomasz Kamil Urbanowicz1, Michał Rodzki1, Michał Michalak2
1Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
Insights
Large unstained cell (LUC) counts may predict carotid artery occlusion, indicating an active inflammatory process. Lower LUC counts suggest a higher risk of artery occlusion, challenging the view of it as a chronic condition.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Hematology
- Inflammatory Diseases
Background:
- Carotid artery stenosis is often viewed as stable, with atherosclerosis linked to inflammation.
- The role of inflammatory markers in predicting advanced carotid artery disease requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate whole blood count parameters for predicting advanced carotid artery atherosclerosis, including occlusion.
- To determine if large unstained cell (LUC) counts can predict carotid artery occlusion.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 290 patients with significant carotid artery disease.
- Comparison of preoperative laboratory data between patients with and without carotid artery occlusion.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess the prognostic value of LUC counts.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in LUC counts were observed between patients with and without carotid artery occlusion (p = 0.003).
- LUC count demonstrated prognostic properties for carotid artery occlusion, with an AUC of 0.637 (p = 0.033).
- The study yielded a sensitivity of 69.70% and a specificity of 51.75% for LUC count in predicting occlusion.
Conclusions:
- Large unstained cells indicate an acute inflammatory state associated with artery occlusion.
- An LUC count below 0.16×10^9/L may predict carotid artery occlusion.
- Carotid artery occlusion should be considered a challenge driven by active inflammation, not solely a chronic state.
Background:
Carotid artery stenosis is often considered a stable clinical condition, and the underlying atherosclerosis is thought to have an inflammatory background.
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to assess the value of different parameters obtained from whole blood counts for the prediction of advanced carotid artery atherosclerosis, including vessel occlusion, irrespective of symptom occurrence.
Material And Methods:
The study group comprised 290 patients (84 (29%) females and 206 (71%) males) with a mean age of 68 ±8 years, who were admitted to the Vascular Surgery Department due to significant carotid artery disease. Patients were retrospectively divided into 2 subgroups regarding the presence or absence of artery occlusion. The demographic, clinical and laboratory preoperative data were compared between both groups.
Results:
We found significant differences in preoperative large unstained cell (LUC) counts between patients with and without carotid artery occlusion (p = 0.003), when analyzed with the Mann-Whitney test for independent samples. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that LUC count has prognostic properties for carotid artery occlusion, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.637 (p = 0.033), yielding a 69.70% sensitivity and a 51.75% specificity.
Conclusions:
Large unstained cells represent an acute inflammatory state related to artery occlusion. An LUC count below the cutoff value of 0.16×109/L may be a predictor of carotid artery occlusion. Therefore, carotid artery occlusion should not be regarded as a chronic state, but as a clinical challenge being promoted by active inflammatory processes.
