Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio may have a role in the differential diagnosis of ischemic stroke

ABSTRACT

@#There is increasing evidence that inflammation is involved in the mechanisms of acute ischemic stroke. The utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has recently been reported to help in the prognostication of stroke. The utility of NLR in the diagnosis of stroke remains uncertain. In this retrospective study, patients with acute ischemic stroke who presented within the first 24 hours of symptom onset to our clinic from September to December 2019 were studied, involving 93 patients with stroke and 60 control. The mean age in the stroke group was 71.7 ± 12.2 years whereas it was 72.6 ± 5.7 in the control group (p=0.405). The female/male ratio was 47/46 in the stroke group and it was 26/34 in the control group (p=0.411). The NLR level was higher in patients with ischemic stroke as compared to control (p=0.029) whereas hemoglobin levels were lower in the patient group (p= 0.025). The ROC curve analysis revealed that a NLR cutoff point of 2.34 had 61.3 % sensitivity and 60% specificity in detecting patients with ischemic stroke. The regression analyses also revealed that the NLR and hemoglobin levels were predictors for stroke. In conclusion, NLR and hemoglobin may potentially be paraclinical markers in differential diagnosis of stroke.