Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratios in dogs and cats with acute pancreatitis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been described as prognostic markers in cancer and inflammatory diseases. The use of these measurements in dogs and cats with acute pancreatitis has not yet been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate NLR and PLR for usefulness as biomarkers for severity and clinical course of acute pancreatitis in dogs and cats. METHODS: In this prospective study, we investigated 67 dogs and 41 cats with acute pancreatitis and 17 healthy dogs and cats as controls. We compared the NLR and PLR of dogs and cats with acute pancreatitis with control animals. The severity of disease was measured using a modified "bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis" (BISAP) score in humans, and the course of the disease was measured with the time to clinical recovery. RESULTS: NLR and PLR were significantly higher in dogs and cats with pancreatitis than in healthy controls. However, no significant relationship between NLR or PLR and disease severity was found, as assessed with the modified BISAP score. Dogs and cats with pancreatitis and prolonged recovery displayed a significantly increased PLR, and those same cats also displayed a significantly increased NLR. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that increased NLR and PLR provide information regarding the course of pancreatitis in dogs and cats.