Home › Research › Disparities
Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio across psychiatric diagnoses: a cross-sectional study using electronic health records
Brinn A, Stone J.. BMJ open, 2020-07-19
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Objectives The main objective of this study was to compare neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a marker of systemic inflammation, between patients diagnosed with International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) psychiatric disorders and control participants. Design A cross-sectional methodology was employed to retrospectively analyse electronic health records and records derived from a national health survey. Setting A secondary mental healthcare service consisting of four boroughs in South London. Participants A diverse sample of 13 888 psychiatric patients extracted from South London and Maudsley electronic health records database and 3920 control participants extracted from National Health and Nutrition Survey (2015-2016) were included in the study. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary: NLR levels in patients with mental health diagnoses, NLR between patients with different mental health diagnoses. Secondary: relationship of NLR to length of hospitalisation and to mortality. Results NLR was elevated compared with controls in patients with diagnoses including dementia, alcohol dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, depression, non-phobic anxiety disorders and mild mental retardation (p Conclusions Elevated NLR may reflect a transdiagnostic pathological process occurring in a subpopulation of psychiatric patients. NLR may be useful to identify and stratify patients who could benefit from adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatment.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Brinn, A., & Stone, J. (2020). Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio across psychiatric diagnoses: a cross-sectional study using electronic health records. BMJ open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036859
Vancouver
Brinn A, Stone J. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio across psychiatric diagnoses: a cross-sectional study using electronic health records. BMJ open. 2020. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036859. PMID: 32690528.
BibTeX
@article{brinn2020-32690528,
author = {Brinn, A. and Stone, J.},
title = {{Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio across psychiatric diagnoses: a cross-sectional study using electronic health records}},
journal = {BMJ open},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036859},
pmid = {32690528},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036859}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results NLR was elevated compared with controls in patients with diagnoses including dementia, alcohol dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, depression, non-phobic anxiety disorders and mild mental retardation (p<0.05).
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study compared a marker of systemic inflammation across psychiatric diagnoses, including dementia. It found elevated levels in several diagnoses including dementia, but it does not show that this marker causes or can be treated to affect Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Disparities →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMJ open) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | BMJ Open: journal h-index 240 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 86 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.8 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 50 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author James M. Stone: h-index 52 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | King's College London: institution h-index 1,348 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32690528) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Related studies in Disparities
Also in Disparities
98 studies in the library are filed under Disparities with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Disparities hub.