Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in Behcet's disease as a marker of disease activity.

INTRODUCTION: Behcet's disease (BD) is a rare autoimmune disease. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is used as a marker of inflammation in several diseases nowadays. This study investigated the NLR as an inflammation marker in BD. METHODS: Sixty-five patients diagnosed with BD and 100 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study retrospectively. The white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were recorded, and the NLR was calculated from these parameters. RESULTS: The NLR and the CRP and WBC levels were higher in patients with BD than controls (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.026, respectively). In addition, the NLR was higher in patients with active BD than in those with inactive BD (p = 0.033). DISCUSSION: The results demonstrate that the NLR is higher in patients with active BD compared to controls and those with inactive BD.