Platelet lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte monocyte ratio, mean platelet volume, and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in Behcet’s disease and their relation to disease activity

Abstract

Background: Behcet’s disease (BD) does not have specific laboratory finding or pathological physical examination sign, and only few studies have investigated Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelets to lymphocytes ratio (PLR), lymphocytes to monocytes ratio (LMR), or mean platelet volume (MPV) values in patients with BD. We conducted this study to investigate the relationship between these indices and Behcet’s disease (BD) and to determine their relation to BD disease activity. Results: This study is a case-control study that included 36 Behcet’s disease patients and 36 healthy controls. BD patients showed significant increase in the mean of NLR and PLR in comparison to control (P = 0.008 and 0.011) respectively, and highly significant decrease in LMR and MPV levels in BD patients in comparison to control (P < 0.001 and < 0.001) respectively. Also, we found that NLR, PLR, and LMR were significantly related to BD activity, and there were significant associations between the studied hematological parameters with some of muco-cutaneous, articular, gastrointestinal, eye, and nervous system manifestations in BD patients. Conclusion: The blood indices NLR, PLR, LMR, and MPV are potential inflammatory markers that can be used to evaluate inflammatory status and disease activity in patients with BD. NLR and PLR showed positive relation being higher in active disease and also higher in highly active disease than in low disease activity. Also, LMR was significantly decreased in Behcet’s disease patients in relation to disease activity. Furthermore, NLR and PLR levels were significantly more associated with muco-cutaneous and nervous system involvement while, LMR levels were significantly associated with muco-cutaneous, articular, gastrointestinal and eye manifestations and MPV levels were associated with articular manifestations being significantly related to disease activity. These easily evaluated markers could help in the management of this disease with multisystem affection that are sometimes serious and potentially life threatening.