Gülhan AYHAN ALBAYRAK
Intercontinental Journal of Internal Medicine - 2026;4(1):1-8
Aims: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are practical and readily available laboratory markers that provide valuable information regarding the diagnosis, disease severity, and prognosis of various inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of these inflammatory indices (NLR, PLR, LMR, SII, CAR, and PNI) in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Methods: This retrospective study included 107 patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis and 103 healthy control subjects who were evaluated at Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital between November 15, 2019, and November 15, 2024. Demographic characteristics, radiological findings, disease stages, and baseline laboratory parameters-including neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts, C-reactive protein, and albumin levels-were recorded. The inflammatory indices were calculated, and statistical and regression analyses were performed to assess their diagnostic and prognostic significance. Results: The study population consisted of 107 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis and 103 healthy controls. A statistically significant difference in PNI values was observed among different disease stages in the patient group (F=7.099, p<0.01). Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences in PNI values between stage 1 and stage 2 (p<0.05), stage 2 and stage 3 (p<0.01), and stage 2 and stage 4 (p<0.05). CAR values also differed significantly across disease stages (H=18.286, p<0.01). Additionally, PNI values were significantly lower in patients with poor prognosis compared to those with good prognosis (t=2.966, p<0.01). Conclusion: Inflammatory indices derived from routine laboratory parameters demonstrate diagnostic and stage-related associations in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Among these markers, PNI was the only inflammatory index independently associated with poor prognosis, suggesting that nutritional-inflammatory status may provide additional prognostic information in clinical practice.
