Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40011028›Full record

ArticleOrthopaedic surgery2025

Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio as Predictor for Acute Infection After Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

Yahao Lai, Jiaxuan Fan, Ning Lv, Xiaoyu Li, Wenxuan Zhao, Zeyu Luo, Zongke Zhou

Abstract read
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Article in Orthopaedic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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5citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Composite inflammatory, immune, and nutritional indices for predicting surgical site infection following spine surgery: a systematic review with narrative synthesis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yahao LaiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Jiaxuan FanDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Ning LvWest China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xiaoyu LiDepartment of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Wenxuan ZhaoDepartment of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Zeyu LuoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Zongke ZhouDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9037-4756

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC2503104National Natural Science Foundation of China 82172394National Natural Science Foundation of China U22A20280
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPreoperative levels of certain inflammatory markers in the blood can predict acute infection after primary total joint arthroplasty in patients without inflammatory disease, but whether they can do so in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine whether, with appropriate cut-off values, (1) preoperative levels of NLR predicted postoperative acute infection; and (2) preoperative plasma fibrinogen, monocyte-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate predicted postoperative acute infection.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 964 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent primary total joint arthroplasty at our hospital between January 2010 and November 2020. We compared preoperative levels of inflammatory markers including neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma fibrinogen (FIB) between patients who suffered acute infection or not within 90 days after surgery. The ability of markers to predict infection was assessed in terms of the area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) based on optimal cut-off values determined from the Youden index.

resultsAmong the 964 patients, 27 (2.8%) experienced acute infection. Preoperative levels of individual inflammatory markers predicted infection with the following AUCs and cut-off values: NLR, 0.704 (cut-off: 2.528); MLR, 0.608 (0.2317); CRP, 0.516 (4.125 mg/L); ESR, 0.533 (66.5 mm/h); and FIB, 0.552 (3.415 g/L). The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio showed diagnostic sensitivity of 92.6% and specificity of 43.3%, while the monocyte-lymphocyte ratio showed sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 46.3%.

conclusionThe preoperative NLR shows some ability to predict acute infection after total joint arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Monitoring this ratio, perhaps in conjunction with other markers not analyzed here, may be useful for optimizing the timing of surgery in order to minimize risk of postoperative infection.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidArthroplasty, ReplacementArthroplasty, Replacement, KneeLymphocytesNeutrophilsPostoperative ComplicationsProsthesis-Related InfectionsAcute DiseaseAgedBiomarkersBlood SedimentationC-Reactive ProteinFemaleHumansLeukocyte CountLymphocyte CountBiomarkersC-Reactive Proteinarthroplastyinfectioninflammatory biomarkersneutrophil‐lymphocyte ratiorheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID40011028
PMCPMC12050188

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