Relationship between colonic polyp type and the neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio as a biomarker.

AIM We designed this study to investigate the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio as a biomarker in distinguishing colonic polyps which are neoplastic or non-neoplastic. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and twenty-five patients with colonic polyps were enrolled into the study. The following data were obtained from a computerized patient registry database: mean platelet volume (MPV), uric acid (UA), platelet count (PC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Exclusion criteria were active infectious disease, hematological disorders, and malignancies. Colonic polyps divided into two groups as neoplastic polyps (tubular adenoma, villous adenoma, tubulovillous adenoma) and non-neoplastic polyps (hyperplastic polyps, inflammatory pseudopolyps etc). The relationship between colonic polyp type and NLR was evaluated with statistical analysis. RESULTS There were 67 patients (53.6%) with neoplastic and 58 (46.4%) patients with non-neoplastic polyps. Mean NLRs of neoplastic and non-neoplastic groups were respectively 3.32±2.54 and 2.98±3.16 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Although sensitivity and specificity are not high, NLR may be used as a biomarker of neoplastic condition of colonic polyps.