Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and its correlation with tuberculosis infection: a cross-sectional survey based on the NHANES database

Highlight box

Key findings

• Our study reveals a significant negative correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the risk of tuberculosis infection (TBI), particularly in males and individuals with hypertension.

What is known and what is new?

• Inflammatory responses play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of TBI, but the association between the emerging inflammatory marker NLR and the risk of adult TBI remains unclear.

• By examining data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, our study is the first to explore the association between NLR and the risk of adult TBI, finding variations in the association across different populations.

What is the implication, and what should change now?

• The results suggest that a moderate level of systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR, may aid in resistance to pathogens. Monitoring NLR could help identify high-risk individuals early, especially in resource-limited settings where the accessibility of NLR makes it a potential tool for screening TBI risk.

• Further validation in diverse populations is needed to assess the universality and applicability of these findings within different health systems. NLR could serve as a biomarker for assessing TBI risk, providing valuable insights for future clinical applications and public health strategies.