Study of neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratios in type 2 diabetes mellitus

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are potential inflammatory biomarkers for prognostic analysis in several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study analyzed NLR and PLR as possible T2DM biomarkers. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a secondary database that included laboratory test results from two healthcare units in Goiânia, GO, Brazil, between 2015 and 2016. The participants were normoglycemic (NG), prediabetic (preDM), and had controlled DM (CDM) and uncontrolled DM (UDM). NLR and PLR were compared between study groups according to sex and age group. NLR was higher in group UDM than preDM (1.88 vs. 1.62, p <0.05) and lower in group preDM than NG (1.62 vs. 1.80, p <0.05). NG women aged ≥65 years were six times more likely to present PLR ≤91.83 than preDM ones (OR: 6.34; CI: 1.98 - 20.55; sensitivity = 41.5%, PPV = 84.6, and LR + = 4.15). NG men aged <65 years were almost four times more likely to present PLR ≤120 (OR: 3.64; CI: 1.21 - 10.89; sensitivity = 80%, PPV = 37.7, and LR + 1.53) than preDM ones. NLR and PLR increases are directly proportional to DM severity, except for group preDM compared to NG for NLR values. These biomarkers can help estimate T2DM prognosis.