Could the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio be a Marker of Acute Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
Mehmet Zahid Kocak1, Kemal Fidan21Department of Internal Medicine, Bitlis Guroymak State Hospital, Bitlis, Turkey, 2Department of Internal Medicine, Bitlis State Hospital, Bitlis, Turkey
Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 85 patients, 43 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD and 42 patients with stable COPD, were included in the study. The acute exacerbation of COPD was diagnosed according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2017 recommendations. Patient data were recorded retrospectively from hospital computer data. The NLR value was obtained by dividing the number of neutrophils by the number of lymphocytes. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the NLR level between control COPD patients and acute exacerbation COPD patients (p=0.003). There was no significant difference in hemoglobin, hematocrit, or platelet levels between the groups (p=0.12, p=0.135, p=0.12, p=0.246, respectively). Acute exacerbation of COPD was defined as “acute deterioration resulting in symptomatic need for additional treatment.” There was a low, positive correlation between leukocyte and mean thrombocyte volume and NLR in the acute exacerbation patients (r=0.244, r=0.241). This relationship was statistically significant (p=0.029, p=0.031). Conclusion: NLR is an inflammatory marker that can be obtained quickly and easily with routine blood tests. NLR may be a useful diagnostic marker for the acute exacerbation of COPD.
Cite This Article
Kocak M, Fidan K. Could the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio be a Marker of Acute Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?. EJMI. 2018; 2(1): 8-11
Corresponding Author: Kemal Fidan