Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate the ability of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) for predicting 28-day all-cause mortality in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) patients.
Methods: This study utilized the MIMIC-IV (medical information mart for intensive care-Ⅳ) database to identify adult ICU patients meeting sepsis-3 and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria for SA-AKI. The primary outcome was defined as all-cause mortality at 28 days. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and mortality. The predictive performance of NLR, MLR, and SIRI alone and in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves were applied to explore the nonlinear relationship between the above indicators and mortality risk.
Results: Among 5,739 SA-AKI patients, survivors exhibited significantly higher NLR, MLR, and SIRI levels than non-survivors (all
P<0.001). Adjusted Cox models identified NLR
HR (hazard ratios)=1.52, MLR (
HR=1.60), and SIRI (
HR=1.60) as independent mortality predictors. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the combined prediction of NLR and SOFA was 0.631, which was higher than that for SOFA alone (AUC=0.572). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis revealed that the cutoff values of NLR, MLR, and SIRI associated with mortality were 8.902, 0.511, and 5.006, respectively (
P<0.001). Subgroup analysis confirmed that the associations of the above indicators with mortality remained stable across patients of different ages, genders, and comorbidities, with no significant interaction observed (
P>0.05).
Conclusion: Admission NLR, MLR, and SIRI independently predict 28-day all-cause mortality in SA-AKI patients. Integrating these biomarkers with SOFA enhances prognostication, providing a cost-effective tool for risk stratification in the ICU.