Prognostic significance of C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background: In this study, the relationship between C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index, a novel composite indicator based on inflammation and nutrition, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) was investigated in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 438 patients with STEMI who were treated at a single center between January 2017 and December 2020. The CALLY index was calculated for each patient on admission. The predictive value of the CALLY index for short- and long-term MACEs was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) analysis, and the corresponding AUC values were calculated. Clinical characteristics were analyzed after categorizing the population based on the optimal cut-off value of the CALLY index. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine factors independently associated with MACEs, while logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with the severity of coronary artery lesions. Kaplan-Meier estimation and log-rank test were used to assess event-free survival rates among different CALLY index groups. Additionally, Spearman's correlation test was used to determine the association between the CALLY index and the Gensini score. Results: The AUC for predicting short-term MACEs in STEMI patients using the CALLY index was 0.758, while the AUC for predicting long-term MACEs was 0.740. Similarly, the AUC values were 0.815 and 0.819, respectively, when evaluating the short- and long-term mortality rates using the CALLY index. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that a high CALLY index (threshold of 1.50) independently reduced the risk of short-term MACEs in patients with STEMI (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.274, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 0.121-0.621, P=0.002). Multivariable Cox regression also demonstrated that a high CALLY index (threshold > 0.91) independently reduced the occurrence of long-term MACEs during follow-up in STEMI patients (HR=0.439, 95 % CI=0.292-0.659, P<0.001). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a high CALLY index (threshold > 1.13) independently reduced the risk of severe coronary artery lesions in patients with STEMI (odds ratio = 0.299 [95 % CI=184-0.485], P<0.001). A positive correlation was observed between the CALLY index and the Gensini score (P<0.001). Conclusion: The CALLY index is a novel, convenient, and valuable prognostic indicator exhibiting a protective effect against both short- and long-term MACEs in patients with STEMI, emphasizing the significance of inflammation/nutrition in this patient population.