P321 Ulcerative colitis: Role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios in predicting disease severity

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are effective markers of inflammation that have been linked with several inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. The aim of our study was to determine the value of NLR and PLR ratios in predicting disease severity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We performed a retrospective study including patients with confirmed diagnosis of UC between January 2007 and March 2017. PLR or NLR was measured without demonstrable infection. Two groups were compared: Group 1: patients with endoscopic active UC. Group 2: patients with UC in clinical and endoscopic remission. A total of 87 patients were included. The mean age was 40 years (range 19–65 years). The sex ratio was 0.84 (38 males, 45 females). The PLR ratio was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (mean 111 vs. 77.1, p = 0.052). Similarly, activity disease was associated with a high NLR (mean 6.2 in Group 1 vs. 2.8 in Group 2, p = 0.042). In univariate analysis, the presence of endoscopic lesions was significantly correlated with a c reactive protein (CRP) level >10 mg/dl and an albumin level ≤28 g/l. Our results show that either high NLR or PLR levels can predict active endoscopic disease. This could be useful in stratifying patients and determining individual treatment plan, particularly when these parameters are used in combination with other inflammatory markers (CRP, fecal calprotectin).