Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Welders' Lung Disease

Objective: To investigate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with welders' lung disease (PWLD) and its relation with pulmonary function parameters. Methods: One hundred sixteen male PWLD and 118 healthy non-exposed individuals were recruited. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs), complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (SED), c-reactive protein (CRP), NLR and PLR of both groups were retrospectively analyzed. Results: NLR, PLR, WBC, ESR, and CRP were significantly higher in PWLD compared to controls (all P< 0.001). All PFTs, except for FEV1/FVC, significantly decreased in PWLD compared to controls as. NLR correlated positively with ESR (r = 0.241 and P< 0.001). Conclusion: Our results show that NLR and PLR can be considered as new inflammatory markers in PWLD with their cheap, fast and easily measurable feature with routine blood count analysis.