TITLE:
Research Progress on the Correlation between Whole Blood Inflammatory Indicators and Pulmonary Embolism
AUTHORS:
Shangbing Wei, Changda Wei, Shiguan Luo
KEYWORDS:
Pulmonary Embolism, Whole Blood Inflammatory Indicators, Risk Assessment, Prognosis, Treatment
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.13 No.10,
October
27,
2025
ABSTRACT: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most common form of pulmonary thromboembolism and ranks among the leading causes of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. Alongside aortic dissection and acute myocardial infarction, PE is classified as one of the three major life-threatening acute cardiovascular conditions. Its global incidence has been steadily rising, and despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, the mortality rate remains substantial. The pathogenesis of PE is multifactorial and closely intertwined with inflammatory processes. Inflammatory mediators contribute significantly to disease development by promoting thrombus formation, inducing vascular endothelial dysfunction, and fostering a hypercoagulable state. Recent advancements in immunological and hematological assays have enabled the use of whole blood inflammatory markers as valuable tools for evaluating disease risk, predicting prognosis, and monitoring therapeutic response in PE patients. Growing research interest has focused on the clinical relevance of systemic inflammation indices such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), particularly their associations with clinical outcomes in PE. However, these markers still exhibit limitations in sensitivity and specificity, necessitating further validation, standardization, and context-specific application. This article reviews recent progress in the study of whole blood inflammatory indicators in pulmonary embolism, assesses their potential clinical utility and current limitations, and outlines future directions for mechanistic investigations and clinical translation, with the aim of supporting early diagnosis and individualized management strategies for PE.