title: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio is an indicator of the overall inflammatory status of the body, and an alteration in N/L ratio may be found in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). The aim of this study was to investigate the interrelationship between N/L ratio and FMF.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifteen patients and controls were enrolled in the study. The cases in the study were categorized as FMF with attack, FMF with attack-free period, and controls. The neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were recorded, and the N/L ratio was calculated from these parameters. All patients were diagnosed according to Tel Hashomer criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 79 FMF patients were included in the study and all subjects were receiving colchicine treatment at the time. The serum N/L ratios of active patients were significantly higher than those of attack-free FMF patients and controls (P < 0.001). The optimum N/L ratio cut-off point for active FMF was 2.63 with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 0.62 (0.41-0.80), 0.85 (0.72-0.93), 0.67 (0.44-0.85), and 0.82 (0.69-0.91), respectively. The overall accuracy of the N/L ratio in determination of FMF patients during attack was 71%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that N/L ratio is higher in patients with active FMF compared with FMF patients in remission and controls, and a cut-off value of 2.63 can be used to identify patients with active FMF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Bozok University Medical School, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celikbilek
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Lutfi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Akyol
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borekci
authors.forename: Gokmen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zararsiz
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozan
authors.forename: Ilhan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gunaydin
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D012372:ROC Curve; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003078:Colchicine
keywords: familial Mediterranean fever; lymphocyte; neutrophil; noninvasive; serum markers