Background: The role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of peripheral blood has been investigated in relation to several autoimmune diseases. Limited studies have addressed the significance of the NLR in terms of being a marker of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: This is a retrospective study in relapsing-remitting MS patients (RRMS) admitted to the tertiary MS center of Catania, Italy during the period of 1 January to 31 December 2018. The aim of the present study was to investigate the significance of the NLR in reflecting the disease activity in a cohort of early diagnosed RRMS patients.
Results: Among a total sample of 132 patients diagnosed with RRMS, 84 were enrolled in the present study. In the association analysis, a relation between the NLR value and disease activity at onset was found (V-Cramer 0.271, p = 0.013). In the logistic regression model, the variable NLR (p = 0.03 ExpB 3.5, CI 95% 1.089-11.4) was related to disease activity at onset.
Conclusion: An elevated NLR is associated with disease activity at onset in RRMS patients. More large-scale studies with a longer follow-up are needed.
Keywords: NLR; disease activity; lymphocytes; multiple sclerosis; neutrophils.