Mean Platelet Volume and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

Abstract

Objectives: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic infection caused by Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) which are simple markers of subclinical inflammation and CCHF. We also investigated the relationship of these markers with coagulation parameters. Methods: Thirty-one suspected CCHF patients, who submitted to Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey between 2009 and 2013, were evaluated retrospectively. Among thirty-one patients, nineteen were laboratory confirmed CCHF patients diagnosed by RT-PCR or CCHFV-specific IgM positivity. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinin phosphokinase (CK), coagulation parameters, white blood cell counts (WBCs), and platelet counts of patient group were compared with twenty-five healthy individuals. Results: MPV, AST, ALT, LDH, CK and coagulation parameters were significantly higher in patients with CCHF than the controls, whereas WBCs, neutrophil, lymphocyte, hemoglobin, platelet counts and NLR were significantly lower ( p <0.05). We found no significant correlation between MPV, NLR and coagulation parameters. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that MPV and NLR may be beneficial markers in the diagnosis of CCHF. But these parameters should not be considered stand-alone tests for this use owing to nonspecificity with other diseases.