Association of Delta Neutrophil Index with the 30-day Mortality in Adult Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the predictive accuracy of 30-day mortality with delta neutrophil index (DNI) in adult cardiac surgical patients. Methods: This study enrolled patients who underwent cardiac surgery under general anesthesia between March 2016 and May 2022 at a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea. DNI was measured preoperatively, on postoperative arrival to the surgical intensive care unit (ICU), and 12, 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to identify the prediction accuracy of DNI. An area under ROC curve (AUROC) ≥0.700 was defined as satisfactory predictive accuracy. An optimal cutoff point for the DNI value to maximize predictive accuracy was revealed in the ROC curve, where [sensitivity + specificity] was maximum. Results: This study included a total of 843 patients in the final analyses. The mean age of the study population was 66.9±12.2 years and 38.4% of them were female patients. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 5.2%. Surgery involving the thoracic aorta, history of prior cardiac surgery, or emergency surgery were associated with a higher mortality rate. The DNI showed satisfactory predictive accuracy at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively, with AUROC of 0.729, 0.711, and 0.755, respectively. The optimal cutoff points of DNI at each time point were 3.2, 3.8, and 2.3, respectively. Conclusions: Postoperative DNI is a good predictor of 30-day mortality after cardiac surgery and has the benefit of no additional financial costs or time.

Can delta neutrophil index values predict the success of periodontal treatment in patients with periodontitis?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of delta neutrophil index (DNI) on non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT), whose role has been documented in the pathogenesis and follow-up of periodontal disease. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study included 35 patients with stage 3, grade A periodontitis (test group) and 35 patients without periodontal disease (control group). Initially, periodontal parameters were recorded and blood samples were taken from all patients. For patients with periodontitis, periodontal parameter measurements and blood sample analyses were repeated 3 months after NSPT. RESULTS: After NSPT, DNI, CRP (C-reactive protein), neutrophil count, WBC (white blood cell), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values decreased in the test group, but did not reach a statistically significant level (p > 0.05). When the inflammatory variables were examined, significantly higher CRP, IG (immature granulocytes), DNI, neutrophil count, and WBC were observed in the test group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In the test group, periodontal parameters were lower 3 months after NSPT than at baseline (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous findings in the literature, the patients with periodontitis were determined to have higher levels of DNI, CRP, neutrophils, and WBC, compared to the individuals without periodontitis. Although a decrease was seen in DNI after NSPT, this was not at a significant level. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: DNI is a guide in the evaluation of inflammation at the onset of periodontal disease, but studies with a larger number of cases are needed to use these parameters in the evaluation of treatment success. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was retrospectively registered on December 27, 2022, with the number NCT05666622 at http://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov .

Are serum delta neutrophil index and other inflammatory marker levels different in hyperemesis gravidarum?

AIM: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HEG) is a condition characterized by nausea and vomiting, fluid electrolyte and acid-base imbalance, dehydration, weight loss, and ketonuria in early pregnancy. The relationship of HEG with inflammation has been studied in many studies. This study aimed to investigate the role of serum delta neutrophil index (DNI), a new inflammatory marker, and other inflammatory markers in demonstrating the disease's presence and severity in HEG patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This retrospective study was conducted by accessing the electronic data of 79 pregnant women diagnosed with HEG in a tertiary center between 2017 and 2022 and 100 healthy pregnant women. The demographic characteristics of the study and control groups, as well as the hematological parameters in the complete blood count and the levels of inflammatory markers, were recorded. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups regarding hematological parameters, DNI, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic inflammation index (p > 0.05). Neutrophil count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were higher in the HEG group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to determine the relationship between HEG and serum DNI, a new inflammatory marker. We found that serum DNI values in HEG patients were not different from normal pregnancies and did not reflect the presence and severity of the disease. We also found that inflammatory markers other than the NLR were not different from normal pregnancies in HEG patients.

Efficacy of blood parameters in predicting the severity of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.

The aim of this retrospective study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of APRI, DNI, NLR, PLR, and PDW in predicting the severity of gestational hypertension (GHT) and PE and to determine whether these factors can be used as screening tools. Normotensive pregnant women (n = 792) served as the control group. 1,213 single pregnant women who met the following criteria for a GHT diagnosis were included in the study group. We found a significantly higher mean PLR and NLR value. The mean PDW value was significantly lower in the control group than in the other groups. The SPE group had a significantly higher mean APRI score. The groups did not differ by their DNI. We determined PDW and APRI as independent parameters that predicted SPE by multiple logistic regression analysis. In retrospective analysis of blood samples taken from these participants below week 20, we found that the APRI value differed significantly between the control and SPE groups. NLR, PLR, DNI, and PDW had no clinical significance. We further suggested that APRI may provide a clinical indication of progression from hypertensive pregnancy disorders to SPE, which seems to be a promising implication that should be verified by further studies.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Screening pregnant women for risk factors for developing hypertensive disorders and identifying women at high risk in early pregnancy and initiating prophylactic treatment are important for pregnancy monitoring and planning in experienced centres. Because only 30% of women who will develop preeclampsia can be predicted by risk factors, the combined use of laboratory tests and imaging with risk factors to calculate a woman's risk of developing preeclampsia is currently being investigated. However, no proven marker has yet been found.What do the results of this study add? In our study, we found that NLR, PLR, DNI, and PDW have no clinical significance in assessing the risk of developing gestational hypertension and preeclampsia and in predicting the severity of preeclampsia. However, in our study, we found that APRI can provide a clinical indication of the progression of hypertensive pregnancy to SPE.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study represents an important contribution to the literature because it is the first study to examine the association between APRI and HT in pregnancy.

Are the serum delta neutrophil index and systemic inflammatory index useful as predictive parameters for preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether the serum delta neutrophil index and other systemic inflammatory index parameters can have an auxiliary effect in the diagnosis when used with other bio chemical markers in preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome and to determine the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of these diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 121 pregnant women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. 52 pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia and 19 pregnant women diagnosed with HELLP syndrome were included in the study group, and 50 healthy pregnant women were included in the control group. Demographic data, hematological and bio chemical parameters, and inflammatory markers (serum delta neutrophil index - DNI - and systemic inflammatory index parameters) of the groups were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: In terms of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, platelet lymphocyte ratio, and DNI, the HELLP group was different from both groups. The control and preeclampsia groups were similar. In terms of monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, the preeclampsia group was different from both groups. The control and HELLP groups were similar. In terms of the systemic inflammatory index, all groups were similar. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found that when maternal serum DNI values are used together with other bio chemical parameters, it can help in the diagnosis of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, and inflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Delta neutrophil index and C-reactive protein: a potential diagnostic marker of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) with COVID-19.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a life-threatening hyperinflammation syndrome emerging after COVID-19. The serum delta neutrophil index (DNI) reflects the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes and is evaluated in infection and inflammation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of DNI as a diagnostic marker in patients with MIS-C and to assess its role in determining the severity of MIS-C. This retrospective, observational study included 83 patients with MIS-C and 113 patients with COVID-19, and 102 healthy controls. C-reactive protein (CRP), the absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), DNI, and the platelet count were recorded. The DNI levels were 4.60 ± 5.70% in the MIS C group, 0.30 ± 0.99% in the COVID group, and 0.20 ± 0.56% in the control group (p < 0.001). According to the severity of MIS-C, the DNI level was found to be 1.22% in mild MIS-C, 4.3% in moderate MIS-C, and 5.7% in severe MIS-C. There was a statistically significant correlation between DNI levels and the severity of MIS-C. The cutoff value of DNI for predicting MIS-C was 0.45%. In the analysis of the diagnostic performance of DNI compared with CRP, ANC, ALC and platelet counts, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were found to be 79.5%, 97.1%, 95.7%, and 85.3%, respectively.Conclusions: The delta neutrophil index was identified as a diagnostic marker for MIS-C such as ANC, ALC, platelet count, and CRP. DNI levels in hemogram analysis may guide clinicians in determining the diagnosis and severity of MIS-C. What is Known: • Although CRP, sedimentation, ALC, ANC, platelet count, sodium, and albumin are used as first step tests, there is no specific laboratory marker used in the diagnosis of MIS C. • The serum delta neutrophil index (DNI) reflects the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes and is elevated in infection and inflammation. What is New: • DNI is a promising and easily accessible marker that can be used with other markers in the diagnosis and determines the severity of MIS C. • DNI is an easily accessible, inexpensive, and dynamic marker and its levels in simple hemogram analysis will guide pediatricians in determining the diagnosis and severity in MIS C.

Potential and promising marker for serious bacterial infections in children: Delta neutrophil index.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of the delta neutrophil index (DNI), an index expressing the number of immature granulocytes as a proportion of the total, as an inflammatory marker in predicting serious bacterial infections (SBIs). METHODS: Paediatric patients admitted to our hospital with fever were divided into four groups: SBI, non-SBI, COVID-19 and control group. White blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, C-reactive protein and the DNI were recorded, and their accuracy in predicting SBI was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean DNI was 4.96 ± 8.38 in the SBI group (150 patients), 0.67 ± 1.68 in the non-SBI group (397 patients), 0.29 ± 0.99 in the COVID-19 group (112 patients) and 0.14 ± 0.21 in the control group (102 patients). The DNI was significantly higher in the SBI group compared with the non-SBI (P < 0.001); the non-SBI group also had higher levels than the COVID-19 group (P = 0.005). One percent increase in the DNI increased the SBI rate 1.36 times (odds ratio 1.36 (95% confidence interval 1.23-1.49), P < 0.001). Based on the determined cut-off value (>2.5%), the DNI (odds ratio 6.27 (95% confidence interval 3.85-10.21), P < 0.001) significantly predicted SBIs with 90.4% specificity and 47.7% sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: SBIs in childrenare associated with an increase in DNI levels. Compared to other biomarkers, the DNI had higher specificity in predicting SBIs. The DNI may also be usefulin differentiating bacterial and non-bacterial infections in individualclinical syndromes. Currently, there is no evidence that serum DNI aids indifferentiating COVID-19 and upper respiratory tract infection.

Delta neutrophil index as a prognostic factor for mortality in patients with Fournier's gangrene.

OBJECTIVES: The delta neutrophil index represents the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes and is a marker of infection and sepsis. Our study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the delta neutrophil index in predicting mortality in patients with Fournier's gangrene. METHODS: We enrolled patients with Fournier's gangrene who were admitted to the Wonju Severance Christian Hospital (Wonju, Korea) between September 2010 and December 2021. We retrospectively analyzed the patients' characteristics, factors related to management, scoring systems such as the Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index, and laboratory data measured at initial presentation. RESULTS: There were 58 (68.2%) survivors and 27 (31.8%) non-survivors. The initial levels of serum lactate, hemoglobin, delta neutrophil index, albumin, international normalized ratio, creatinine, Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index, Uludag Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index, and prognostic nutritional index differed between survivors and non-survivors. Age, international normalized ratio, and delta neutrophil index were independent predictors of mortality in Fournier's gangrene. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, delta neutrophil index on the day of admission was the best indicator of mortality (area under the curve, 0.804; 95% confidence interval [0.679-0.929]). The optimal cutoff for delta neutrophil index in predicting mortality was 11.25% (sensitivity, 74.1%; specificity, 91.4%). The initial delta neutrophil index was the best indicator of mortality (area under the curve, 0.804; 95% confidence interval 0.679-0.929). CONCLUSION: The delta neutrophil index can be useful for predicting mortality in patients with Fournier's gangrene. A delta neutrophil index >11.25% at initial presentation is a reliable predictor of Fournier's gangrene.

Positive Role of Delta Neutrophil Index (DNI) as a Prodiagnostic Marker in Cecal Ligation and Puncture (CLP)-Induced Sepsis Murine Model.

Sepsis is an emergent infectious disease and a leading cause of death despite immediate intervention. While Delta neutrophil index (DNI) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are known as a prodiagnostic marker of sepsis, the preclinical evidence of the best marker of sepsis is unclear. For this, using a well-designed cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis mouse model, we comparatively measured the level and cost-effectiveness of sepsis biomarkers such as DNI, myeloperoxidase (MPO), procalcitonin (PCT), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). First, we found that the optimal time point for early detection is at 6 h, 24 h post-CLP. Strikingly, the peak level and fold change of DNI was revealed at 24 h, further showing the best fold change as compared with other biomarker levels. Given the fold change at 6, 24 h, PCT was next to DNI. Third, a cost-effectiveness survey showed that DNI was the best, with PCT next. Further, DNI level was moderate positively associated with PCT (ρ = 0.697, p = 0.012) and TNF-α (ρ = 0.599, p = 0.040). Collectively, these data indicate that DNI in CLP-induced sepsis mice is as effective as the existent inflammatory biomarkers such as MPO, PCT and TNF-α to predict the prognosis of sepsis. This might have clinically important implications that DNI is cost effective, thus quickly and rationally applying to diverse types of imminent sepsis regardless of species. This might be the first report on the validity of DNI in preclinical CLP-induced murine sepsis.

Increased serum delta neutrophil index levels are associated with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the maternal serum delta neutrophil index (DNI) levels in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and healthy pregnancies. METHODS: This study consisted of a group of patients (n = 40) diagnosed with isolated ICP who gave birth in our hospital and a control group (n = 60) between December 1, 2015, and June 30, 2018. The diagnosis of ICP was made based on pruritus and elevated fasting serum bile acids and liver enzymes. Laboratory tests of both groups in the hospitalization process were retrospectively examined. Maternal and neonatal characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and DNI values of the two groups were compared. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: Mean maternal serum DNI levels were significantly higher in women with ICP than in the control group (0.49 ± 4.8 vs -3.99 ± 3.02, p = <0.01). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to define the DNI value where ICP can be best predicted. CONCLUSION: DNI, a new inflammatory marker, was found to be higher in women with ICP than in normal pregnancies.

Delta neutrophil index as a predictive and prognostic factor for Candidemia patients: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Delayed antifungal therapy for candidemia leads to increased mortality. Differentiating bacterial infection from candidemia in systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) patients is complex and difficult. The Delta Neutrophil Index (DNI) has recently been considered a new factor to distinguish infections from non-infections and predict the severity of sepsis. We aimed to assess if the DNI can predict and provide a prognosis for candidemia in SIRS patients. METHODS: A matched case-control study was conducted from July 2016 to June 2017 at Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital. Among patients with a comorbidity of SIRS, those with candidemia were classified as the case group, whereas those with negative blood culture results were classified as the control group. The matching conditions included age, blood culture date, and SIRS onset location. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate DNI as a predictive and prognostic factor for candidemia. RESULTS: The 140 included patients were assigned to each group in a 1:1 ratio. The DNI_D1 values measured on the blood culture date were higher in the case group than in the control group (p <  0.001). The results of multivariate analyses confirmed DNI_D1 (odds ratio [ORs] 2.138, 95% confidential interval [CI] 1.421-3.217, p <  0.001) and Candida colonization as predictive factors for candidemia. The cutoff value of DNI for predicting candidemia was 2.75%. The area under the curve for the DNI value was 0.804 (95% CI, 0.719-0.890, p < 0.001), with a sensitivity and specificity of 72.9 and 78.6%, respectively. Analysis of 14-day mortality in patients with candidemia showed significantly higher DNI_D1 and DNI_48 in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group. CONCLUSIONS: DNI was identified as a predictive factor for candidemia in patients with SIRS and a prognostic factor in predicting 14-day mortality in candidemia patients. DNI, along with clinical patient characteristics, was useful in determining the occurrence of candidemia in patients with SIRS.

The role of haematological parameters in patients with COVID-19 and influenza virus infection.

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), was identified in Wuhan, China. Since then, the novel coronavirus started to be compared to influenza. The haematological parameters and inflammatory indexes are associated with severe illness in COVID-19 patients. In this study, the laboratory data of 120 COVID-19 patients, 100 influenza patients and 61 healthy controls were evaluated. Lower lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, platelets and higher delta neutrophil index (DNI), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were found in COVID-19 and influenza groups compared to healthy controls. The eosinophils, lymphocytes and PLR made the highest contribution to differentiate COVID-19 patients from healthy controls (area under the curves (AUCs): 0.819, 0.817 and 0.716, respectively; P-value is <0.0001 for all). The NLR, the optimal cut-off value was 3.58, which resulted in a sensitivity of 30.8 and a specificity of 100 (AUC: 0.677, P < 0.0001). Higher leucocytes, neutrophils, DNI, NLR, PLR and lower lymphocytes, red blood cells, haemoglobin, haematocrit levels were found in severe patients at the end of treatment. Nonsevere patients showed an upward trend for lymphocytes, eosinophils and platelets, and a downward trend for neutrophils, DNI, NLR and PLR. However, there was an increasing trend for eosinophils, platelets and PLR in severe patients. In conclusion, NLR and PLR can be used as biomarkers to distinguish COVID-19 patients from healthy people and to predict the severity of COVID-19. The increasing value of PLR during follow-up may be more useful compared to NLR to predict the disease severity.

The association of delta neutrophil index with the prognosis of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is associated with infective triggers including bacterial or viral in many cases, and pneumonia is a major contributor to hospitalization for AECOPD and has a close relationship with poor outcomes. Increased delta neutrophil index (DNI) can be useful in the detection of COPD patients with pneumonia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed to investigate the mortality rate of the patients who were re-admitted within 6 months after discharge from the hospital due to AECOPD with or without CAP. We analyzed the difference of cumulative survival rate according to serum DNI level and readmission duration. RESULTS: Finally, 140 AECOPD patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and 174 AECOPD patients without CAP were enrolled during 6 months, respectively. The mean age was 72.2 ± 9.4 year-old, and 240 patients (76.4%) were male. When comparing the cumulative survival rate according to readmission duration (≤ 30 vs >  30 days) and DNI level (< 3.5 vs ≥ 3.5%), AECOPD patients with readmission ≤30 days and DNI ≥ 3.5% showed the lowest cumulative survival rate compared to other groups (P <  0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed readmission duration ≤30 days (HR 7.879, 95% CI 4.554-13.632, P <  0.001); and serum DNI level (HR 1.086, 95% CI 1.043-1.131, P <  0.001) were significantly associated with the mortality of AECOPD patients during 6 months. The area under the curve for readmission (≤ 30 days) + DNI level (≥ 3.5%) was 0.753 (95% CI 0.676-0.830, P <  0.001) with a sensitivity of 73.7% and a specificity of 67.3%. CONCLUSION: AECOPD patients who were readmitted ≤30 days and DNI ≥ 3.5% showed higher mortality. DNI level can be used as a predictor of prognosis in AECOPD patients who were readmitted after discharge.

Delta-neutrophil index: a potential predictor of coronary artery involvement in Kawasaki disease by retrospective analysis.

DNI is the immature granulocyte fraction provided by a blood cell analyzer, which is determined by subtracting the fraction of mature polymorphonuclear leukocytes from the sum of myeloperoxidase-reactive cells. We aimed to evaluate the role of Delta-neutrophil index (DNI) in cardiac prognosis prediction in children with Kawasaki disease (KD). Medical records of 193 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The values of DNI, white blood cells, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the percent of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, C-reactive protein, aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin data of children with KD were analyzed. Also, sex and age of children were compared. The value of DNI was higher in children with cardiac complications [median 0.8 (0-0.26) vs 5.3 (3.55-8.95); P < 0.001]. The ROC curves showed that DNI was a better predictor of cardiac complications than other parameters. The best cutoff value for DNI to predict cardiac complications was 5.55% with sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 82% (AUC 0.883, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.807-0.959, P < 0.05). DNI could serve as a facile and useful marker to predict cardiac complications in children with KD, as it is included in a routine complete blood count.

Delta neutrophil index as a prognostic marker in emergent abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Delta neutrophil index (DNI) is the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes provided by a routine, complete blood cell analyzer. It is known to be a useful prognostic marker of sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of DNI in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients who had undergone emergent surgery for an acute abdomen. METHODS: A total of 694 patients who had visited the emergency room for acute abdominal pain and undergone emergent abdominal surgery from May 2015 to September 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings on the day of hospital visit, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and 30-day mortality were investigated. RESULTS: In the analysis of patients who had undergone an operation for acute peritonitis, the DNI was a good predictor for predicting 30-day mortality rate (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.826). It was not inferior to other laboratory values, including activated partial thromboplastin time (AUC: 0.729), C-reactive protein (AUC: 0.727), albumin (AUC: 0.834), prothrombin time (AUC: 0.816), and creatinine (AUC: 0.837) known to be associated with sepsis. Patients with high DNI displayed higher incidence of bacteremia and sepsis, longer hospital stay, higher postoperative complication rate, and higher 30-day mortality rate than patients with low DNI. Among patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the DNI was a useful marker for differentiating appendiceal perforation. CONCLUSION: The DNI was a practical and useful marker for predicting the prognosis of patients who needed emergent abdominal surgery.

Delta neutrophil index: A reliable marker to differentiate perforated appendicitis from non-perforated appendicitis in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Delta neutrophil index (DNI) is a new inflammatory marker and the present study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the DNI for the presence of a perforation in elderly with acute appendicitis. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted on 108 consecutive elderly patients (≥65 years old) with acute appendicitis treated over a 24-month period. RESULTS: Sixty-nine of the 108 patients (median, IQR: 72, 67-77 years) were allocated to the perforated appendicitis group (63.9%) and 39 to the non-perforated appendicitis group (36.1%). WBC, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and DNI were significantly higher in the perforated group. In multiple logistic regression analyses, initial DNI was the only independent marker that can significantly predict the presence of perforation in multiple regression [odds ratio 9.38, 95% confidence interval (2.51-35.00), P=.001]. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that DNI is a good predictor for the presence of appendiceal perforation at an optimal cut-off for DNI being 1.4% (sensitivity 67.7%, specificity 90.0%, AUC 0.807). CONCLUSION: Clinicians can reliably differentiate acute perforated appendicitis from non-perforated appendicitis by DNI level of 1.4 or more in elderly patients.

Delta neutrophil index contributes to the differential diagnosis between acute gout attack and cellulitis within 24 hours after hospitalization.

Objective: An acute gout attack is often misdiagnosed as cellulitis. Differentiating these two diseases is crucial when deciding treatment strategies. Delta neutrophil index (DNI) represents the difference between leucocyte subfractions that corresponds to the fraction of immature granulocytes and can predict the bacterial infection burden. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of DNI as a predictive marker for differentiating an acute gout attack and cellulitis. Methods: We reviewed medical records of 184 patients with an acute gout attack and 183 patients with lower limb cellulitis. DNI was automatically determined by the ADVIA 2120 electronic cell analyser. We used logistic regression to determine independent variables for predicting cellulitis among clinical and laboratory markers. We performed a subgroup analysis among patients without MSU crystal confirmation and among patients with normouricaemia. Results: Patients with an acute gout attack had lower values of DNI than those with cellulitis (0.6 vs 2.8%; P < 0.001). These results were consistent in patients without MSU confirmation and in patients with normouricaemia (0.5 vs 2.8 and 0.7 vs 2.6%, respectively; P < 0.001 for both). A cut-off value of 1.7% was determined to predict cellulitis. Multivariate analysis showed that DNI was the only independent predictive value for cellulitis (odds ratio 9.699). Similar results were found in patients without MSU confirmation and in patients with normouricaemia (odds ratio 18.763 and 5.215, respectively). Conclusion: This study showed that DNI was an effective independent marker to differentiate between an acute gout attack and cellulitis at the crucial early phase irrespective of MSU crystal confirmation or serum uric acid concentration.

Delta neutrophil index (DNI) as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker of infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Delta neutrophil index (DNI) representing the number of immature granulocytes is an emerging marker used in diagnosis of infections and prediction of mortality in infected patients. The present study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of DNI as a predictive and prognostic factor in infected patients. METHODS: We performed a PubMed search on January 1st, 2017 and identified studies that evaluated DNI as either a predictive or prognostic factor in infected patients. Studies with appropriate information to construct 2 × 2 contingency tables were extracted. We calculated pooled sensitivity and specificity. Meta-analysis of the multivariate logistic regression data set was performed to assess whether DNI functions as an independent factor. RESULTS: Overall, 12 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and a total of 499 cases and 9549 controls were examined. As a predictive factor of infection, DNI's pooled sensitivity was 0.67 (95% CI 0.62-0.71, I 2 = 86.0%) and pooled specificity was 0.94 (95% CI 0.94-0.95, I 2 = 92.8%). Area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was 0.89. As a prognostic factor for death in infected patients, DNI's pooled sensitivity was 0.70 (95% CI 0.56-0.81, I 2 = 0.0%) and pooled specificity was 0.78 (95% CI 0.73-0.83, I 2 = 26.6%). Area under the ROC curve was 0.84. Meta-analysis of the multivariate logistic regression data set showed insignificant results. CONCLUSIONS: DNI is a potentially useful diagnostic tool and predicts mortality among infected patients and should be more widely used in the clinical practice.

Delta neutrophil index is an independent predictor of mortality in septic acute kidney injury patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: Delta neutrophil index (DNI), representing an elevated fraction of circulating immature granulocytes in acute infection, has been reported as a useful marker for predicting mortality in patients with sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of DNI in predicting mortality in septic acute kidney injury (S-AKI) patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). METHOD: This is a retrospective analysis of consecutively CRRT treated patients. We enrolled 286 S-AKI patients who underwent CRRT and divided them into three groups based on the tertiles of DNI at CRRT initiation (high, DNI > 12.0%; intermediate, 3.6-12.0%; low, < 3.6%). Patient survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models to determine the effect of DNI on the mortality of S-AKI patients. RESULTS: Patients in the highest tertile of DNI showed higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (highest tertile, 27.9 ± 7.0; lowest tertile, 24.6 ± 8.3; P = 0.003) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (highest tertile, 14.1 ± 3.0; lowest tertile, 12.1 ± 4.0; P = 0.001). The 28-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the highest tertile group than in the lower two tertile groups (P < 0.001). In the multiple Cox proportional hazard model, DNI was an independent predictor for mortality after adjusting multiple confounding factors (hazard ratio, 1.010; 95% confidence interval, 1.001-1.019; P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that DNI is independently associated with mortality of S-AKI patients on CRRT.

Predictability of the Delta Neutrophil Index and Other Blood Parameters on Perinatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PROBLEM: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of delta neutrophil index (DNI), a peripheral blood parameter, on perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHOD OF STUDY: One hundred eighty-one participants, 78 pregnant women with SLE, and 103 healthy pregnant women were included in this retrospective study. Peripheral blood parameters including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and DNI taken in the first trimester were compared between groups. RESULTS: NLR, PLR, and DNI were significantly higher in the SLE group (p = 0.027, p = 0.007, p = 0.0001, respectively). The same parameters were not found to be significant in determining disease activity in pregnant women with SLE (p > 0.05). When the predictive value of DNI for SGA in pregnancies with SLE was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.666 (95% CI; 0.544-0.788, p = 0.018) with 84.6% sensitivity, 53.8% specificity, 56.0% PPV, and 78.1% NPV at a cut-off value of 0.16. The predictive value of DNI according to ROC for stillbirth in pregnancies with SLE was AUC 0.731 (95% CI: 0.539-0.923, p = 0.019) with a cut-off value of 0.17, sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 51.5%, PPV of 58.5%, and NPV of 87.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Although DNI's prediction of SGA and stillbirth in pregnant women with SLE is encouraging, it needs more evidence from prospective studies with larger series.