First-trimester neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio: a novel predictor for preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study evaluated the predictive power of a new marker for pre-eclampsia (PE), the neutrophil percentage/albumin ratio (NPAR).

METHODS

A total of 399 participants consisting of 133 pregnant women diagnosed with PE and 266 healthy pregnant controls were included in the study. Data collected included demographic and obstetric history, gestational age at diagnosis, maternal hematological and biochemical parameters, first trimester neutrophil/albumin ratio (NAR) and NPAR values, and neonatal outcomes.

RESULTS

The pre-eclampsia group showed significantly higher NAR (mean: 312.30, range: 80.00-1568.00) and NPAR (mean: 3.14 ± 0.81) compared to the control group (mean NAR: 234.40, range: 78.16-725.00; mean NPAR: 2.06 ± 0.38; p = 0.001 for both). Furthermore, early-onset PE was associated with significantly higher NAR (395.00 vs. 256.23, p = 0.001) and NPAR (3.87 vs. 2.80, p = 0.001) compared to late-onset PE. For early-onset PE, NPAR showed a sensitivity of 76.19%, specificity of 92.31%, PPV of 82.05%, NPV of 89.36% and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.897, demonstrating its strong potential as an early predictor of pre-eclampsia.

CONCLUSION

NPAR is elevated in PE compared to healthy pregnancies, demonstrating its potential as a simple yet effective biomarker for predicting PE.