How obesity affects the neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammatory index and platelet indices: a retrospective study

Y. Furuncuoğlu, S. Tulgar, A.N. Dogan, S. Cakar, Y.K. Tulgar, B. Cakiroglu

Department of Internal Medicine, Bahcesehir University Faculty of Medicine; Medicalpark Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. serkantulgar.md@gmail.com

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• Metabolism

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is an important preventable cause of death and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases as well as skeletal system diseases and malignancies. In many studies, complete blood count (CBC) and ratios derived from its results – such as the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune inflammatory index have been associated with some diseases and their surveys. In these studies, the body mass index (BMI) and state of obesity of patients and the possible effects of these factors on CBC have not been defined. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the effect of BMI and smoking on CBC and ratios derived from CBC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional, retrospective study; the data of male and female patients aged between 18-65 years who presented for a routine check-up or obesity was collected and subjects were grouped as normal weight, overweight, obese and morbidly obese accordingly BMI. Persons’ smoking habits were calculated as pack/years. All complete blood count results were noted. Smoking status and BMI groups were compared to CBC findings and ratios derived from these findings.

RESULTS: After exclusion, 223 participants’ data (104 female and 119 male) was included in the study. BMI was found to have a statistically significant positive linear correlation with lymphocyte number, PDW, SII and RDW (p < 0.05), and an extremely significant positive linear correlation (p < 0.01) was found between BMI and WBC, neutrophil count, PCT and platelet count. When BMI was not considered and 135 smokers were compared to 88 non-smokers, leukocytes and neutrophil counts were found to be higher in smokers (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study has found that WBC, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, PCT, PDW and SII are significantly affected by BMI status. Future studies that use these parameters and indices must take the participants’ BMI and smoking status into account.

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