Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts mortality in patients listed for liver transplantation

Background & Aims In the absence of overt infection, the systemic inflammatory response is increasingly recognised as a pathogenetic factor in the circulatory dysfunction of advanced cirrhosis. Our aim was to determine whether the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, a marker of systemic inflammation, is predictive of mortality in patients with end‐stage cirrhosis listed for liver transplantation. Methods A single centre study of 570 patients listed for first elective single‐organ liver transplantation January 2007–June 2011. Results The median listing neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio was 2.9 (IQR 1.9–4.7). Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio demonstrated a positive correlation with listing serum bilirubin (P