Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a biomarker of neurological deterioration in acute ischemic stroke: Argumentative Scientific Essay

Ischemic stroke is a public health issue due to its high morbidity and mortality. Some patients experience early neurological deterioration, potentially leading to coma or death within the first week of illness despite initially normal brain imaging. This is attributed to cerebral edema caused by the inflammatory reaction within the ischemic lesion. Despite our understanding of the proinflammatory cytokines involved in this neurotoxic reaction, studies over the past two decades have not demonstrated their utility as inflammatory biomarkers due to contradictory results. Recently, promising studies have been published on certain leukocyte indices from the complete blood count as inflammatory biomarkers for progression in acute ischemic stroke. The aim of this scientific essay is to discuss the most recent literature on the use of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a biomarker for neurological deterioration in acute ischemic stroke.