The value of lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio for predicting clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis in intensive care unit: a retrospective single-center study

BackgroundThe lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) was a novel biomarker of inflammation that had been implicated in various diseases. Nevertheless, the role of LCR in the context of sepsis patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) had not been thoroughly elucidated. This study aimed to determine the significance of the LCR in predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients within ICU.MethodsA sample of sepsis patients requiring ICU care was selected from the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University. These patients were then segmented into four quartiles based on their LCR levels. The primary endpoint of the study was 30-day mortality and the secondary endpoint was the occurrence of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Survival analysis, via the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, was conducted to assess survival rates. Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression models were employed to investigate the association between LCR and clinical outcomes. Additional subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the influence of other confounding factors on the relationship between LCR and patient outcomes.ResultsA total of 1,123 patients were enrolled in this study, with a median age of 75 (65–84) years, and 707 (63.0%) of them were male. The 30-day mortality rate was 28.1%, while the incidence of AKI was 45.6%. A progressive decrease in LCR levels was found to be associated with an increased cumulative incidence of 30-day mortality (log-rank P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that LCR was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality [per 1-unit increase in LCR: HR (95%CI): 0.370 (0.142–0.963); P = 0.042]. Additionally, multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between LCR and AKI occurrence [per 1-unit increase in LCR: OR (95%CI): 0.541 (0.307–0.953); P = 0.034]. Furthermore, subgroup analysis indicated a stronger correlation for patients aged over 65 years compared to those aged 65 or younger (p for interaction <0.05) in predicting 30-day mortality or AKI occurrence based on LCR.ConclusionA reduction in LCR was notably linked to 30-day mortality and the occurrence of AKI in sepsis patients. These findings suggested that LCR could potentially serve as a valuable tool in identifying sepsis patients at a heightened risk of adverse outcomes.