A Comprehensive Review of the Role of Hemogram-derived Inflammatory Markers in Gastrointestinal Conditions

Context: Inflammation, whether overt or subtle, has an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Hemogram-derived markers are novel inflammatory predictors and have been studied in different settings, including gastrointestinal conditions. The main indices are mean platelet volume (MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio. Besides the well-established roles of these markers in various hematological issues like differentiating anemia, platelet activation, and infections, recent literature suggests that they could be associated with the inflammatory burden in gastrointestinal conditions from inflammatory bowel disease to functional disorders and malignancies. In the present work, we aimed to review the literature to reveal the association between these markers and gastrointestinal diseases, thereby establishing their diagnostic and prognostic roles in disorders of the gastrointestinal system. Evidence Acquisition: An extensive literature search was done to select articles that studied hemogram parameters in gastrointestinal disorders. Results: Literature data suggest that MPV, RDW, NLR, PLR, and MLR are associated with various gastrointestinal disorders. They also have a prognostic role in certain diseases. Conclusion: Due to their inexpensive and easy-to-assess nature, MPV, RDW, NLR, PLR, and MLR could be considered diagnostic or prognostic tools in gastrointestinal disorders.