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Is neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio a novel biomarker for macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes?

The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine volume 31, pages 1–7 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/aim

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio is a biomarker of inflammation. We aimed to test the hypothesis that macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) involve an inflammatory process.

Patients and methods

This is a cross-sectional study conducted on patients with type 2 DM. Demographic and clinical examination data of eligible patients were recorded. The blood samples for laboratory variables were collected and measured by the standard methods. A standard ultrasound examination was done to measure both carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), and the averages of three results of each side were recorded.

Results

The current study showed that N/L ratio was an independent predictor of cIMT in patients with type 2 DM (B=0.003, t=8.325, P=0.000), in addition to other conventional cardiovascular risk factors including age, male sex, smoking index, duration of diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, urinary albumin creatinine ratio, and HBA1c. Moreover, N/L ratio was an independent predictor of albuminuria in patients with type 2 DM (B=0.110, t=3.638, P=0.006), in addition to duration of diabetes, HBA1c, SBP, BMI, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Conclusion

N/L ratio was an independent predictor of cIMT and albuminuria. This supports the hypothesis that diabetic macrovascular and microvascular complications involve an inflammatory process. Therefore, NLR may serve as a cost-effective and readily accessible marker of diabetic vascular complications.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology Unit, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, 71515, Egypt

    Walaa H. Mohammad MD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Critical Care Unit, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt

    Ahmad B. Ahmad & Muhammad H. Al-Maghraby

  3. Department of Clinical Pathology, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt

    Mohamed Z. Abdelrhman

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Unit, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt

    Sanaa Ezzate

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  1. Walaa H. Mohammad MD
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  2. Ahmad B. Ahmad
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  3. Muhammad H. Al-Maghraby
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  4. Mohamed Z. Abdelrhman
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Correspondence to Walaa H. Mohammad MD.

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Mohammad, W.H., Ahmad, A.B., Al-Maghraby, M.H. et al. Is neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio a novel biomarker for macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes?. Egypt J Intern Med 31, 1–7 (2019). https://doi.org/10.4103/ejim.ejim_54_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ejim.ejim_54_18

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