Monocyte-based inflammatory indices predict outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

The contribution of specific immune cell populations to the post-hemorrhagic inflammatory response in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and correlations with clinical outcomes, such as vasospasm and functional status, remains unclear. We aimed to compare the predictive value of leukocyte ratios that include monocytes as compared to the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in aSAH. A prospectively accrued database of consecutive patients presenting to our institution with aSAH between January 2013 and December 2018 was used. Patients with signs and symptoms of infection (day 1–3) were excluded. Admission values of the NLR, monocyte-neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (M-NLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were calculated. Associations with functional status, the primary outcome, and vasospasm were evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. In the cohort of 234 patients with aSAH, the M-NLR and LMR, but not the NLR, were significantly associated with poor functional status (modified Rankin scale > 2) at 12–18 months following discharge (p = 0.001, p = 0.023, p = 0.161, respectively). The area under the curve for predicting poor functional status was significantly lower for the NLR (0.543) compared with the M-NLR (0.603, p = 0.024) and LMR (0.608, p = 0.040). The M-NLR (OR = 1.01 [1.01–1.02]) and LMR (OR = 0.88 [0.78–0.99]) were independently associated with poor functional status while controlling for age, hypertension, Fisher grade, and baseline clinical status. The LMR was significantly associated with vasospasm (OR = 0.84 [0.70–0.99]) while adjusting for age, hypertension, Fisher grade, aneurysm size, and current smoking. Inflammatory indices that incorporate monocytes (e.g., M-NLR and LMR), but not those that include only neutrophils, predict outcomes after aSAH.