Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is not a predictor of liver histology in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

OBJECTIVESIt has been reported that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be measured relatively easily and can serve as a valuable index for much clinical pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between NLR and hepatic histological findings in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). DESIGN AND METHODSA total of 226 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD [nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, n=105), borderline-NASH (n=74), and simple steatosis (n=47)] were enrolled. NASH and fibrosis were diagnosed histologically using the NAFLD Clinical Research Network criteria. RESULTSSignificant differences were found in aspartate aminotransferase (P