Hematological Parameters as an Early Marker of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Diabetes Mellitus: An Observational Study

Background Although the association between the presence of diabetes mellitus and the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is well known, the role of novel biomarkers in predicting the development of DVT in diabetic patients is not yet known to a large extent. Studies have shown that complete blood count (CBC) and CBC-derived parameters such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) can be used as surrogate markers to detect DVT. This study was conducted to assess the utility of NLR and PLR as a marker of DVT in diabetic patients. Methodology This case-control study was conducted among a calculated sample size of 109 DVT patients in one arm and 109 non-DVT patients in another arm. Hematological tests including total leucocyte count, differential leucocyte count, total neutrophil count, total lymphocyte count, total platelet count, NLR, and PLR were performed. Results We found a significant difference in NLR and PLR between the DVT and the non-DVT groups. In addition, we found that NLR and PLR were significantly higher in the diabetic group, indicating the presence of inflammation in association with diabetes mellitus. Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that at a cut-off value of 2.83, NLR can detect DVT in diabetic patients with 67% sensitivity and 92% specificity. Similarly, PLR at a cut-off value of 131.46 can detect DVT in diabetic patients with 56% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Conclusions We conclude that NLR and PLR are novel inflammatory markers that can help in the early detection of DVT in diabetic patients.