title: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in children with familial Mediterranean fever: Original article.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of present study was (a) to evaluate the relationship between the neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio and mutation types of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in children and (b) to evaluate the relationship between the N/L ratio and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred forty-three children with familial Mediterranean fever in the attack-free period and 283 healthy control children were included in the study. Patients were divided into subgroups according to mutation types. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were retrieved from medical records of patients and the N/L ratio was calculated from these parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The N/L ratio of patients was found to be significantly higher than that of controls (p<0.001). Among 343 patients, homozygous, heterozygous, and compound mutations were observed in 39, 253, and 51 patients, respectively. The differences in the N/L ratio among patients with homozygous, heterozygous, and compound mutations were not statistically significant. The most common mutations were M694V (n=126), E148Q (n=70), M680I, (n=33), and V726A (n=28). Significant differences were not observed among these mutations in terms of the N/L ratio (p>0.05). In all subjects, there was a weak but significant relationship between age and the N/L ratio (r: 0.215, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The N/L ratio, which can be determined by simple methods in routine blood tests, may be used for the follow-up monitoring of chronic inflammation in patients. In addition, the N/L ratio may give an idea to clinicians regarding the early initiation of treatment in patients with typical clinical findings of FMF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duksal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Nefrology, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alaygut
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Sami
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Güven
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekici
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Burhan
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Oflaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rukiye
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Cevit
keywords: Children; familial Mediterranean fever; lymphocyte; mutation; neutrophil