Peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) can act as biological indicators in predicting renal function and prognosis in patients with lupus nephritis, according to a study published in the American Journal of Translational Research.
The study included 115 patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University with lupus and 60 healthy subjects who served as controls. Based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at admission, the subjects were divided into normal renal function group and renal insufficiency group. They were further divided into good and poor prognosis groups based on their 6 monthly follow-up results. Significantly elevated levels of peripheral blood NLR and reduced LMR levels were noted in the case of the group compared to controls (P<0.001). Patients with normal renal function showed lower NLR and higher LMR compared to those with renal insufficiency. Significantly elevated NLR and lower LMR were observed in patients with poor prognoses compared to patients with good prognoses (P<0.001). In cases, an inverse association was noted for eGFR and NLR (r=-0.572, P<0.001). A positive correlation was noted between eGFR and LMR (r=0.582, P<0.001). In lupus nephritis infection, hypoproteinemia, moderate or above lupus disease activity, high NLR, and low LMR were identified as independent risk factors for poor prognosis by multivariate logistic analysis.
Lingyu Xue and co-researchers from the Shandong First Medical University, Taian, and Zhujiang Hospital concluded that NLR and LMR are effective biomarkers in lupus nephritis patients for predicting renal function and renal prognosis. However, since this study is only followed up for 6 months, there is a scope for future studies by determining the long-term survival of patients.
Reference: Xue L, Shi Y, Zhang J, Pan Z, Yin Q, Xie L, Zhang P, Xue S. Correlations of peripheral blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio with renal function and prognosis in patients with lupus nephritis. Am J Transl Res. 2022 Jan 15;14(1):336-342.