Inflammatory Biomarkers and Disease Severity in Patients With Lymphatic Malformations

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hematology
• Vascular Anomalies
• Biomarker Research

Background:

• Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are congenital vascular anomalies.
• Assessing LM disease severity is crucial for effective management.
• Inflammatory markers may offer insights into LM pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and disease severity in pediatric patients with LMs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 104 pediatric LM patients (2008-2022).
• Analysis of complete blood count (CBC) derived biomarker ratios (NLR, PLR, LMR).
• Correlation of biomarker ratios with LM location, treatment, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations using statistical analyses.

Main Results:

• Patients with LMs in multiple body segments showed higher peak and average NLR and peak PLR.
• Extremity LMs were associated with lower peak and average NLR, lower peak PLR, and higher average LMR.
• Higher NLR and PLR, and lower LMR correlated with increased surgical interventions and ED visits.
• Sirolimus treatment was associated with higher peak LMR.

Conclusions:

• Elevated NLR and PLR are associated with increased LM disease severity.
• Biomarker ratios can serve as indicators of LM severity and treatment response.
• Further research into inflammatory markers in LMs is warranted.