COMPARISON OF NEUTROPHIL LYMPHOCYTE RATIO AND PLATELET LYMPHOCYTE RATIO WITH THE DEGREE OF HEPATOSTEATOSIS IN OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate whether neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values differ in grade 1 and 2 hepatosteatosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For the study, the records of patients diagnosed with hepatosteatosis in the pediatric gastroenterology department between 2021 and 2023 were examined retrospectively. Patients younger than eighteen years of age and diagnosed with hepatosteatosis on sonographic examination were included in the study. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients under 18 years of age with hepatosteatosis were evaluated. Fifty-three (69.7%) patients were grade 1 and 23 (30.3%) were grade 2. The mean age of grade 2 patients (12.0 ± 3.9) was higher than that of grade 1 patients (9.5 ± 2.6). Body mass index was reported to be higher in the grade 2 hepatosteatosis (21.4 ± 2.5 vs 25.8 ± 4.7; P < 0.001). AST (28.1 ± 12.9 vs 35.2 ± 22.2; P= 0.088) and ALT (32.0 ± 15.3 vs 39.5 ± 21.4; P= 0.089) values were higher in the grade 2 group but were not significantly different. NLR (2.5 ± 1.2 vs 3.2 ± 1.7; P= 0.041) and PLR (140 ± 58 vs 175 ± 75; P= 0.031) were significantly higher in the grade 2. CONCLUSIONS: NLR and PLR values are likely to be used as parameters with high predictive value in the progression of hepatosteatosis. The role of the inflammatory process in the progression of hepatosteatosis is important.