Abstract

Objective: Childhood obesity is one of the most important children’s health problems that is gradually increasing all over the world. Dyslipidemia which coexists with obesity is a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases in adulthood. In this study, the usability of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting dyslipidemia, a serious complication of obesity, in children was investigated.
Material and Method: 207 cases aged between 11-17 years who were diagnosed with obesity at the Pediatrics Clinic of our hospital and 50 cases with no disorders whose complete blood count was performed for routine purposes were retrospectively investigated. The genders, ages, and examination findings of the cases were recorded. In obese children, leukocyte, hemoglobin, platelet, mean platelet volume, neutrophil and lymphocyte levels were evaluated in the complete blood count performed at the first admission. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio were calculated. Preprandial blood glucose and preprandial insulin, serum aminotransferase values, and the lipid profile were recorded.
Results: While dyslipidemia was determined in 99 (47.82%) of 207 cases who were diagnosed with obesity, it was not determined in 108 (52.18%) cases. The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and preprandial insulin level were higher in cases with dyslipidemia than the group without dyslipidemia. The PLR average of the dyslipidemic group was 112.75±39.11, the PLR average of the non-dyslipidemic group was 104.78±31.38, and the PLR average of the control group was 110.20±39.35, and there was no statistically significant difference between the PLR averages of the groups (p=0.353). The NLR average was 1.52±0.69 in the dyslipidemic group, 1.66±0.81 in the non-dyslipidemic group, and 1.72±1.26 in the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed between the NLR averages of all three groups (p=0.295).
Conclusion: In this study, no relationship was determined between the PLR and NLR and dyslipidemia in obese children.

Key words: Children, dyslipidemia, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio