Background and Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are characterized by persistent inflammation, malnutrition, and immune dysfunction, all of which contribute to poor outcomes in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The C-reactive protein albumin lymphocyte (CALLY) index has been proposed as a novel biomarker that integrates these mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the CALLY index together with established markers, including the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) for all-cause mortality in HD patients.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 106 patients undergoing HD. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were obtained three months after the effects of HD initiation was reviewed.
Results: During a median follow-up of 24.5 months, 29 patients (27.3 percent) died. Non-survivors were significantly older (65.3 vs. 52.5 years,
p < 0.001), had a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (31 percent vs. 2.6 percent,
p < 0.001), or shorter dialysis duration (14 vs. 27 months,
p < 0.001). They also showed lower hemoglobin (9.2 vs. 10.1 g/dL,
p = 0.007), creatinine (5.3 vs. 6.3 mg/dL,
p = 0.048), and albumin levels (28 vs. 34 g/L,
p = 0.001), as well as a higher MLR (0.329 vs. 0.254,
p = 0.014). In multivariate analysis, age, CAR, and NLR independently predicted mortality, explaining 83.8% of the variation. ROC analysis identified age and MLR as significant predictors, with MLR showing a high negative predictive value (83.9%). The CALLY index did not demonstrate independent prognostic value.
Conclusions: Age, CAR, NLR, and MLR were independent predictors of mortality in HD patients, whereas the CALLY index was not prognostic in this cohort. Among these markers, MLR may be a practical biomarker with strong negative predictive power. Larger prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
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