Diagnostic Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy

<b>Aims/Background</b> Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, yet the correlation between ICP and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic value of NLR in ICP. <b>Methods</b> In this retrospective case-control study, 113 patients with ICP treated in Beilun District People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were recruited and categorized as the ICP group, and 209 healthy pregnant women treated during the same period were selected as the control group. The levels of NLR and mean platelet volume (MPV) were compared between the two groups. The NLR of patients with different ICP severity were compared. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between relevant indicators and ICP. The capability of NLR in predicting ICP was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. <b>Results</b> There were significant differences in age, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, MPV, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), NLR, and serum total bile acid (sTBA) among all groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The NLR in the severe ICP group was significantly higher than that in the mild ICP group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that MPV (odds ratio [OR] = 1.247) and NLR (OR = 1.885) were independent factors influencing the occurrence of ICP (<i>p</i> < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for both mild ICP and severe ICP was 0.679 and 0.869, respectively, substantiating the diagnostic value of NLR. <b>Conclusion</b> NLR can be used as an auxiliary indicator in the diagnosis of ICP and has important clinical value in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in ICP patients.