Original scientific paper

ELEVATED NEUTROPHIL/LYMPHOCYTE RATIO IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Murat Semiz ; Department of Psychiatry, Gaziozmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey
Osman Yildirim ; Department of Psychiatry, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey
Fatih Canan ; Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey
Suleyman Demir ; Department of Psychiatry, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey
Ekrem Hasbek ; Clinic of Psychiatry, Sivas State Hospital, Sivas, Turkey
Taha Can Tuman ; Department of Psychiatry, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey
Nefise Kayka ; Department of Psychiatry, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey
Mehmet Tosun ; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey

Abstract

Background: Inflammatory mechanisms are reported to play important roles in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The
neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple and easily accessible indicator of the systemic inflammatory response. Our goal was
to investigate whether NLR was higher in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy comparison subjects similar in age, sex, and
body mass index.
Subjects and methods: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we analyzed 156 non-obese patients with schizophrenia and 89
healthy control subjects for complete blood count. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale was used to determine the severity of clinical
pathology.
Results: The mean±SD NLR of patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (2.6±1.1 vs.
1.9±0.6, respectively, p<0.001). NLR did not significantly correlate with severity and duration of schizophrenia (r=0.065. p>0.05).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that NLR levels are increased in physically healthy, non-obese, patients with schizophrenia
when compared with physically and mentally healthy individuals. To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrated the
association between NLR and schizophrenia.

Keywords

lymphocyte – neutrophil - neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio – schizophrenia – inflammation - immunology

Hrčak ID:

162193

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162193

Publication date:

18.9.2014.

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