Value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in the diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy

Background Peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN) had been demonstrated as a chronic inflammation state and one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel marker to reflect many kinds of chronic inflammation disease including diabetes. We aim to evaluate the association between NLR and PDN and to determine whether NLR could be a new indicator of PDN in T2DM. Methods Hospital records of the patients who underwent electroneuromyography studies with the diagnosis of T2DM in the Neurology Outpatient Clinic between 01/01/2018 and 01/04/2021 were divided into two groups as those with normal results and those with polyneuropathy. The NLR was calculated from the hemogram tests. Results Eighty-nine (52.7%) normal and 80 (47.3%) PDN patients included in the study, of them 77 (45.6%) were male and 92 (54.4%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 58.92 +/- 13.88 years. According to the records examined, the mean NLR value was significantly higher in patients with PDN (2.70 +/- 1.99) than in those with normal results (1.98 +/- 0.80). According to the ROC analysis, the sensitivity is 0.875 and the specificity is 0.292 for 1.46, which is determined as the optimal cut-off value for the NLR value in the diagnosis of PDN. Conclusion The results of our study have shown that there was a significant correlation between NLR and PDN, implying that inflammation and endothelial dysfunction could be an integral part of PDN. NLR was significantly and independently raised in patients with T2DM.