Correlation Between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Motoric Deterioration in Patients With Guillain-Barre Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a common cause of inflammation-related acute flaccid paralysis, and is characterized by acute onset, rapid progression, and symmetrical weakness. GBS is an emergency with high morbidity and long-term disability rates. It is important to determine the prognostic factors for GBS in order to improve the disease outcomes. This study aimed to identify the correlation between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on day 1 of hospitalization (D1) and motor deterioration in GBS patients. METHODS: This observational analytical study applied a cross-sectional analysis to the medical records of GBS patients who were hospitalized at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya from January 2018 to March 2020. The analysis used the chi-square bivariate test, multivariate analysis with logistic regression, and correlation analysis with the Spearman test. RESULTS: The study included 61 subjects. Statistical tests showed that there was no correlation between NLR and changes in the Medical Research Council sum scores (ΔMRC sum scores) during D1–D3, D1–D7, D1–D14, and D1 to the day of discharge (p>0.05). There was a significant correlation between NLR and the Erasmus GBS outcome score (EGOS) (p=0.006). NLR values differed significantly within each treatment group (p=0.001). Therefore, a subanalysis within each treatment group was conducted, which revealed a significant negative correlation (p<0.05) between NLR and the ΔMRC sum score during D1–D14 in the group treated without immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: There was no correlation between NLR and motor deterioration in patients with GBS during hospitalization. However, NLR was significantly correlated with EGOS, and there was a negative correlation between NLR and motor deterioration during D1–D14 in GBS patients treated without immunotherapy.