Evaluation of the Accuracy of the Percentage of Neutrophils to Lymphocytes in Blood in the Diagnosis of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Hepatitis C Patients

Abstract Background Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a severe complication among cirrhotic patients with ascites and is defined as an infection in the ascitic fluid without a clear source in the abdomen. Aims and Objectives To determine the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictor of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with hepatitis C. Subjects and Methods This Prospective cohort study was conducted at Hepatology Unit of Ain Shams University Hospital in period of 6 months over 80 cases divided into 2 equal groups. Study Group 40 patients with cirrhotic hepatitis C patients with sterile ascites. Control Group 40 patients with cirrhotic hepatitis C patients with ascites with SBP. Result The study found significant differences in ascitic fluid, lymphocytes, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, MPV, total bilirubin and creatinine, and lab investigations at different times, indicating a multifactorial nature of the cases. Conclusion The findings suggest that assessing the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may serve as a simple, accessible, and cost-effective method for identifying SBP in hepatitis C patients, offering a non-invasive alternative to conventional diagnostic approaches.