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Published on: August 28, 2018
Band neutrophil count and the presence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis
H Kawaguchi1, T Mori, T Kawano
1Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Insights
Band neutrophil counts, a type of white blood cell, are a significant independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. This finding highlights a new marker for assessing cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Total blood leukocyte count is a known risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Limited research exists on the association between differential leukocyte counts and CAD.
- Differential leukocyte counts provide a more detailed analysis of white blood cell types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between total and differential leukocyte counts and angiographically determined coronary atherosclerosis.
- To identify specific leukocyte subtypes that may serve as independent risk factors for CAD.
Main Methods:
- The study included 486 subjects undergoing coronary angiography for suspected CAD.
- Coronary atherosclerosis was assessed using angiography.
- Statistical analyses were performed to adjust for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Results:
- Band neutrophil count showed a significant positive association with coronary atherosclerosis (p = 0.004) after adjusting for multiple risk factors.
- Total blood leukocyte count showed a positive association, but it was not significant after full adjustment (p = 0.08).
- The association of band neutrophils with coronary atherosclerosis was comparable to that of serum total cholesterol.
Conclusions:
- Band neutrophil count is an independent risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis.
- Differential leukocyte counts, specifically band neutrophils, offer valuable insights into CAD risk assessment.
- Further research may explore the mechanisms underlying this association.
Abstract:
It has been consistently shown that the total blood leukocyte count is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Few studies, however, have addressed the relation between differential leukocyte counts and coronary artery disease. We investigated the relation of total and differential leukocyte counts to angiographically determined coronary atherosclerosis. The study included 486 subjects (335 men, 151 women) who underwent coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease. Band neutrophil count was significantly positively related to coronary atherosclerosis (p = 0.004) after adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, cigarettes per day, serum total cholesterol, and hypertension. Although sex and age-adjusted total blood leukocyte count was significantly positively related to coronary atherosclerosis (p = 0.04), this relation did not reach significant levels (p = 0.08) after adjusting for other risk factors. The positive association with band neutrophil counts was at least as strong as that with serum total cholesterol concentrations. This study indicates that band neutrophil counts serve as an independent risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis.
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