“THE ROLE OF NEUTROPHIL TO LYMPHOCYTE RATIO (NLR), PLATELET TO LYMPHOCYTE RATIO (PLR) AND MEAN PLATELET VOLUME (MPV) AS INFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN DRUG NAIVE SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS’’
Main Article Content
Keywords
NLR, PLR, MPV, Schrizophrenia
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder with increasing evidence supporting the role of inflammation in its pathophysiology. Peripheral blood markers such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) have emerged as potential indicators of systemic inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the levels of NLR, PLR, and MPV in drug-naive schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls.
Methods: This case-control study included drug-naive patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Complete blood counts were obtained, and NLR, PLR, and MPV values were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the inflammatory markers between the two groups and assess their potential clinical relevance.
Results: The study found significantly higher levels of NLR and PLR in drug-naive schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05), suggesting an elevated inflammatory state in the patient group. MPV values were also increased but did not reach statistical significance. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between NLR and symptom severity scores, indicating a potential association between inflammation and disease progression.
Conclusion: Elevated NLR and PLR levels in drug-naive schizophrenia patients support the hypothesis that systemic inflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. These readily accessible and cost-effective markers could serve as adjunctive tools for early detection and monitoring of inflammatory status in schizophrenia, especially in resource- limited settings. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore their prognostic significance.
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Nikita Giri
. Junior Resident, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
S.K. Sutrakar
Professor & Head of Department, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
Lokesh Tripathi
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
U.R. Singh
Professor, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
Deepti Tiwari
Junior Resident, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
Vibha Misra
Junior Resident, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
Shweta Paswan
Junior Resident, Department of Pathology, Shyam Shah Medical College and associated hospitals, Rewa (M.P.).
