DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i05.041

Pages: 1915-1919

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been recently identified as clinically useful predictive and prognostic biomarker in patients with the different medical illness. To assure easy application and interpretation, the reference value of such parameter should be established. To establish the Sudanese reference value for NLR; a total of 300 Sudanese healthy subjects (150 males, 150 females) with the different age groups between 5 and 85 (mean: 39 year)- were enrolled. A venous blood sample was collected from each subject and analyzed using a Sysmex-KX-21 automated blood analyzer. The NLR was calculated from the absolute number of neutrophils and lymphocytes. Reference value was calculated as mean-2SD to mean+2SD. Simple T-test was used to compare the reference value of WBCs count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and NLR between both genders and different age groups. The following reference values were obtained for NLR – males 0.5-1.7, females 0.2-2.2; the overall reference value was 0.3-2.9. The mean of NLR in different age groups were as follow: 0.8, 1.3, 1.4, 0.9, 1.2, 1.2 in the age group of ˂20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, ˃60 years old; respectively. There were no significant differences between males/females and individuals below/over 40 years old age, p-values were 0.1, 0.46 respectively. This study illustrated the importance of determining local reference value, because ethnic groups and instruments may vary from published reference values. The reference values for NLR do not vary with age or gender. This reference values pave the way for the clinicians to apply such parameter in the investigations of disease states.