Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio: relation to disease activity and carotid intima-media thickness in Behçet’s disease

Background Behçet’s disease (BD) is an autoinflammatory disorder. Disease activity could be detected by changes in peripheral blood cell components. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with disease activity and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in patients with BD. Patients and methods This study was conducted on 20 adult patients with BD (group І). This group was subdivided according to cIMT into group Іa, which included patients with increased cIMT, and group Іb, which included patients with cIMT within normal ranges. Moreover, 20 age-matched and sex-matched apparently healthy volunteers were included as a control group (group ІІ). Patients with BD were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, and assessment of disease activity according to Behçet’s Disease Current Activity Form score. The white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and lymphocytes count were recorded, and NLR was calculated. cIMT assessment was done for all participants. Results There were statistically significant differences (P< 0.05) regarding lymphocytes count and NLR and highly statistically significant difference (P< 0.001) regarding neutrophil count, being higher in patients with BD. There was a statistically highly significant difference (P< 0.001) regarding cIMT, being higher in group Іa patients (0.82±0.03) than group Іb patients (0.50±0.04) and healthy control group (0.47 ±0.04). There was a statistically significance positive correlation (R=639, P=0.005) between NLR and Behçet’s Disease Current Activity Form score. In conclusion, higher NLR values were recorded in patients with BD. Furthermore, patients with active BD had higher NLR values than inactive, and NLR is higher in patients with increased cIMT; thus, NLR may be an important bio-index for detecting BD activity and the presence of vascular affection.