Irritable bowel syndrome is associated with novel inflammatory markers derived from hemogram parameters

Objectives. We aimed to study novel inflammatory markers derived from hemograms and to compare them to those in healthy subjects. Material and methods. The platelet distribution width (PDW), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) of patients with IBS were gathered from a database and compared to those in a healthy population. Results. The PLR of the IBS group (144 +/- 50%) was higher than the PLR of the control group (111 +/- 32%; p < 0.001). The PDW of the IBS group (16.3 [1%]) was higher than the PDW of the control group (15.4 [2.4%]; p < 0.001). The NLR of the IBS group (2.2 [1.1%]) was higher than the NLR of the control group (1.8 [0.7%]; p < 0.001). The MLR of the IBS group (0.25 [0.14%]) was higher than the MLR of the control group (0.2 [0.12%]; p < 0.001). Conclusions. We think that PDW, NLR, PLR, and MLR could all serve as diagnostic tools for IBS. Although the diagnosis of IBS is based on history and clinical findings, the simplicity and low cost of these hemogram tests could provide laboratory support in establishing a diagnosis, especially in suspected cases.