Association of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio with Lung Function and Exacerbations in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR) is a widely available marker of inflammation. Several types of inflammatory cells and mediators have been found to be involved in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We sought to evaluate the association of the NLR with severity of airflow limitation and disease exacerbations in a COPD population.We analyzed 885 patients from the Korean COPD Subtype Study cohort that...