The Prognostic Value of Hematological, Immune-Inflammatory, Metabolic, and Hormonal Biomarkers in the Treatment Response of Hospitalized Patients with Anorexia Nervosa.

Background/

Objectives

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a chronic eating disorder with the highest mortality rate among psychiatric conditions. Malnutrition and starvation lead to long-term impairments in metabolic processes, hormonal regulation, and immune function, offering potential diagnostic and prognostic value. This study aimed to identify immune-metabolic-hormonal markers associated with treatment response and nutritional rehabilitation.

Methods

Fifty hospitalized female patients with AN were included. Anthropometric measurements and venous blood samples were collected at admission and discharge, following partial nutritional recovery. Blood analyses included complete blood count, serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, triglycerides, glucose, NT-pro-BNP, TSH, free thyroxine (fT4), sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, iron, and vitamin D. Composite immune-inflammatory indices calculated were neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR); neutrophil-to-high-density lipoprotein (NHR), monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein (MHR), platelet-to-high-density lipoprotein (PHR) and lymphocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein (LHR) ratios; systemic immune-inflammation (SII), and systemic inflammation response (SIRI) indexes.

Results

Responders (R) and non-responders (NR) differed significantly at baseline in levels of sodium, chloride, fT4, monocyte count, MCV, NLR, MLR, SII, and SIRI (all: R < NR; p < 0.05). Predictive ability for treatment response was confirmed by AUC values (95%CI): sodium = 0.791 (0.622-0.960), chloride = 0.820 (0.690-0.950), fT4 = 0.781 (0.591-0.972), monocytes = 0.785 (0.643-0.927), MCV = 0.721 (0.549-0.892), NLR = 0.745 (0.578-0.913), MLR = 0.785 (0.643-0.927), SII = 0.736 (0.562-0.911), SIRI = 0.803 (0.671-0.935). The lower levels of inflammation and chloride are particularly predictive of better nutritional recovery, accounting for 26% of the variability in treatment response.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated important insights into the hematological, metabolic, hormonal, and immune-inflammatory mechanisms associated with nutritional recovery in AN.