Aim:
Systemic inflammatory response can be detected using several laboratory methods, such as C-reactive protein (CRP). The purpose of this study was to assess inflammation using widely used and more easily available blood count parameters.
The purpose of this study was to show changes in hematological and biochemical laboratory characteristics in recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), and to assess the practicability of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an acute phase reactant like CRP, in patients diagnosed with RAS.
Materials and Methods:
265 patients with a clinical diagnosis of RAS at the Namık Kemal University Research and Practice Center Dermatological and Venereal Diseases Clinic in 2010-2015 were included in the study following a retrospective review of the patient files. A control group of 299 healthy individuals was also established. Hemoglobin, leukocyte, neutrophil and lymphocyte values were recorded from the patient files, and the neutrophil/leukocyte ratio (NLR) was calculated.
Results:
No significant difference was determined in leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte or NLR values between the RAS and control groups (p>0.05), while significant differences were observed in terms of CRP and sedimentation values (p<0.01).
Conclusion:
NLR cannot be used like CRP as an inflammation marker in RAS patients. New studies investigating biological markers capable of supporting clinical diagnosis and follow-up in these patients are required.
Keywords: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis, neutrophil/leukocyte ratio, c-reactive protein