title: A link between platelet to lymphocyte ratio and Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic Helicobacter pylori gastritis affects two-thirds of the world's population and is one of the most common chronic inflammatory disorders of humans, the infection clearly results in chronic mucosal inflammation in the stomach and duodenum, which, in turn, might lead to abnormalities in gastroduodenal motility and sensitivity and is the most frequent cause of dyspepsia and peptic disease. Some studies showed that there was a correlation between low-grade inflammation as CRP and HP infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of HP infection and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 200 patients who met the HP criteria and 180 age- and gender-matched control subjects were included in this randomized controlled trial. Patients were diagnosed to have HP according stomach biopsy and urea breath test, PLR was calculated from complete blood count at time of diagnosis and before initiating the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with HP infection had significantly higher PLR compared to those without HP. Moreover, the patients with symptomatic HP had higher PLR than those with asymptomatic HP. While PLR increased as the severity of HP symptoms increased (r=.452, P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicated, for the first time, a significant association between HP infection and symptoms based on PLR, a simple and reliable indicator of inflammation. Furthermore, there an increase in PLR as the severity of HP increases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine B, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, Israel.|Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9777-5106
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farah
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Unit, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.affiliation: Clalit Health Service, Akko, Israel.
authors.forename: Rola
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khamisy-Farah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: 
  Helicobacter pylori
  ; inflammation; peptic disease; platelet/lymphocyte ratio