Can the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predict type 1 hereditary angioedema attacks?

The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is a simple and easily used parameter for the assessment of inflammation. We aimed to determine the predictive potential of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio regarding episode occurrence in patients with hereditary angioedema. Sixty-six patients with Type 1 hereditary angioedema and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. The laboratory results of the patients in their episode-free periods were similar to those of the healthy controls. The median of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was higher during episodes when compared to normal periods (3.5 versus 2.0, p < .001). A significant positive correlation was present between the episode count and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio calculated during the episodes (r = 0.557, p < .001). We can conclude that the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, which is cheap and easy to calculate, can be used by clinicians as a predictive parameter for prediction of the episode count in patients with hereditary angioedema.