Lymphocyte/monocyte ratio in osteoarticular tuberculosis in children: a haematological biomarker revisited.
BACKGROUND
*Work attributed to Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Geeta Colony, Delhi-110031(India)This study tested the hypothesis whether the lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (L/M ratio) altered significantly during treatment of paediatric osteoarticular tuberculosis (OATB) for it to be a useful monitor of the response to therapy.


METHODS
Thirty immunocompetent paediatric patients with OATB treated with 6 months of uninterrupted multidrug anti-tubercular treatment with resultant clinical and radiological healing of the lesion were included. Haemoglobin, total leucocyte, monocyte and lymphocyte count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were collected at 0, 2 and 6 months, and were analysed.


RESULTS
The L/M ratio altered from high (11) at the start of treatment towards normalisation (9) at 2 months and (7.7) at 6 months. There was no correlation with declining ESR levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The L/M ratio may have potential as an effective biomarker response.
Specialist, Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Delhi, India dranilagarwal08@gmail.com.
Anil
A
Agarwal
Senior Resident, Department of Paediatric Orthopedics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Delhi, India.
Mohd Shafi
MS
Bhat
Senior Resident, Department of Paediatric Orthopedics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Delhi, India.
Anubrat
A
Kumar
Senior Resident, Department of Paediatric Orthopedics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Delhi, India.
Abbas
A
Shaharyar
Senior Resident, Department of Paediatric Orthopedics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Delhi, India.
Madhusudhan
M
Mishra
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, SMS Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India).
Rajeev
R
Yadav
D000293:Adolescent; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D015415:Biomarkers
Osteoarticular tuberculosis; children; erthrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); lymphocyte; monocytes