Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio are associated with a 2-year relapse in patients with multiple sclerosis
Wei‐Chin Huang, Hui‐Chen Lin, Yao‐Hsu Yang, Che-Wei Hsu, Nai-Ching Chen, Wan‐Chen Tsai, Ben‐Chung Cheng, Nai‐Wen Tsai
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The association between increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and multiple sclerosis has been demonstrated in several studies. The monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) is an emerging biomarker for disease monitoring. Moreover, there has not been a published Taiwanese study to date. AIM: To investigate the correlation of NLR, MLR and white blood cell (WBC) count as possible biomarkers for predicting a 2-year relapse in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 641 Taiwanese patients with MS were enrolled in the present study between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2018. We collected data on NLR, MLR, WBC count, disease-modifying therapy (DMT) use, and the time between first diagnosis and first relapse in all patients within a 2-year duration. RESULTS: In the relapse group, there were significantly more patients with NLR >median or MLR >median (p = 0.006 and p = 0.020, respectively). There were also more patients with WBC count >median, although the difference was not statically significant (p = 0.069). The adjusted hazard ratio for relapse and NLR >median was 1.61(p = 0.008). The adjusted hazard ratio for relapse and MLR >median was 1.43 (p = 0.044). Patients with NLR >median or MLR >median had a significantly (p = 0.008 and p = 0.039, respectively) increased risk of MS relapse in the 2 years, compared with those who had NLR <median or MLR <median. CONCLUSION: NLR and MLR are widely available, fast and measurable inflammatory markers for predicting the relapse risk of MS patients.