Evaluation of the relationship between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and the most common bacterial urinary tract infections after transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and the most common bacterial urinary tract infections after transplantation. We also assessed the frequency of bacterial infections, e.g. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, and Enterococcus in the urinary tract, and determined the important factors affecting neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (N/L).

METHODS: We compared the percentage of neutrophils (NE%), percentage of lymphocytes (Lym%), and N/L, along with blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and white blood cells (WBC) in all patients before and after renal transplantation.

RESULTS: The Lym% and WBC significantly increased after surgery while N/L%, BUN, and creatinine levels were significantly decreased. Postoperative infections were evaluated by measuring WBC, NE%, Lym%, N/L%, serum urea and creatinine levels, and no significant differences were seen compared to the preoperative values. Univariate analysis also did not show any significant differences between pre- and post-operative parameters. However, a significant difference in N/L% ratio was seen between the E. coli infected and uninfected recipients.

CONCLUSIONS: Any significant difference in NE%, Lym%, and N/L%, BUN, creatinine, and WBC parameters among infected and non-infected renal transplant patients were not found. The steps should be taken to prevent pre-transplantation infection and patients should be continuously monitored for infections post-transplantation (Tab. 6, Fig. 1, Ref. 24).