title: Diagnostic role of mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in childhood brucellosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brucellosis patients present various non-specific clinical symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, sweating, joint pain, arthritis, myalgia, and headache. Based on the nonspecifity of its clinical signs and symtoms, we decided to evaluate whether mean platelet volume (MPV) , neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) will contribute to the diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, we reviewed hospital-records of 60 children with a confirmed diagnosis of brucellosis in Kayseri between January 2013 and January 2016, and compared the hematological parameters; white blood cell (WBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, MPV, NLR, and PLR with 55 healthy age and gender matched children. Also, the well known inf lammation markers; erytrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were compared between the patient and control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant difference among the Hb, platelet count, MPV and NLR values between the patient and control group (p < 0.05). There was no difference between WBC, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count and PLR between the patient and control group (p > 0.05). When the patients were divided into groups as arthritis positive and arthritis negative and compared to the control group; we found that the NLR is more significant in between the arthritis positive and control group (p = 0.013). Also, we found significant difference among the ESR and CRP values between the patient and control group (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicates that MPV and NLR values can be used as markers of inflammation in childhood brucellosis. Also, NLR is more valuable in children with brucella arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şefika Elmas
authors.initials: ŞE
authors.lastname: Bozdemir
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Microbiology, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin Ay
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Altıntop
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uytun
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Humeyra
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aslaner
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin Altuner
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Torun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D063847:Mean Platelet Volume; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Brucellosis; Child; Diagnosis; Mean platelet volume; Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio