ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the clinical characteristics of the acute allergic reaction patients diagnosed in an emergency clinic.

Methods: The medical records of the patients with a diagnosis of acute allergic reactions that were presented to Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospital Emergency Department, Diyarbakır, Turkey, between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 were included in the study. The age, gender, NLR, white blood count, eosinophil, mean platelet volume (MPV), glucose, and the platelet count of all the participants were recorded. The study included 100 allergy patients and 100 healthy control group subjects. The demographic and the clinical characteristics of the groups were compared using statistical analyses.

Results: The mean age, gender, lymphocyte count, eosinophil count, platelet count, and MPV were similar in the two groups (p > 0.05 for all). The mean NLR values of the allergy and the control group were 4.36 and 2.12, respectively (p = 0.008). Moreover, the serum glucose levels were significantly higher in the allergy group compared with the control group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The patients with acute allergic reactions had a significantly higher value of NLR. Thus, NLR may be a useful diagnostic indicator of allergic conditions.