Evaluation of the hematologic system as a marker of subclinical inflammation in hyperemesis gravidarum: a case control study

Objectives: Current evidence suggests that subclinical inflammation plays a significant role in the development of hyperemesis gravidarum (HEG). Simple hematological markers, such as mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have been shown to reflect inflammatory burden and disease activity in several disorders. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of these hematological parameters for HEG. Material and methods: A total of 54 HEG patients and 58 age-and gestational-age-matched control subjects were studied. NLR, MPV, PLR, platelet distribution width (PDW), and red cell distribution width (RDW) values in all patients were calculated and recorded from complete blood cell counts. Results: For HEG patients, the median NLR was 3.2 (1.6-7.1), and the median PLR was 143.7 (78.1-334.6); for control subjects, the values were 2.1 (1.0-4.7) and 93.1 (47.3-194.7), respectively. Although both the NLR and PLR of HEG patients were found to be significantly higher than in the controls, no significant difference was found between the study groups in terms of MPV, RDW, or PDW. Correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between NLR and CRP (r = 0.872, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results show that peripheral blood NLR and PLR values can reflect inflammatory burden in HEG patients and can be used as markers for HEG.