Prediction of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the diagnosis and progression of autoimmune encephalitis

Abstract Objective: Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) is a group of inflammatory disorders of the brain. The severity of AIE vary among individuals and it is always a challenge to predict. In this study, we measured the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a novel potential biomarker of inflammatory status in other inflammatory diseases, in AIE patients and evaluated NLR as a biomarker for monitoring AIE progression. Methods: The study participants consisted of 34 newly diagnosed AIE patients and 35 ages and sex-matched healthy controls. Demographic and clinical assessment data were reviewed and abstracted retrospectively. NLR levels were calculated from the peripheral blood tests. The relationship between mRS (the modified Ranking Scale) score and NLR levels, total white blood cells, absolute neutrophil counts and absolute lymphocyte counts were investigated. The performance of NLR in predicting severe AIE was also determined. Results: Peripheral NLR level in AIE patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p  Conclusion: Our results suggest that NLR in peripheral blood may be a practical and reliable biomarker to monitor disease progression in patients with AIE.