Neutrophil-to-ferritin ratio can predict hematological causes of fever of unknown origin

Abstract

Despite advancements in diagnostic modalities, delineating the etiology of fever of unknown origin (FUO) remains a significant challenge for clinicians. Notably, cases with hematological malignancies often have a poor prognosis due to delayed diagnosis. This study investigated the potential of readily obtainable laboratory markers to differentiate hematological causes from other etiologies during the early stages of FUO. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 100 patients who fulfilled the modified FUO criteria between January 2010 and April 2023. Hematological etiologies were identified in 26 of the 100 patients. Peripheral blood neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts, and the systemic immune inflammation (SII) index, were significantly lower in the hematological group compared to the non-hematological group. Conversely, serum ferritin levels were demonstrably higher in the hematological group. ROC analysis identified a neutrophil-to-ferritin ratio (NFR) cutoff value of < 8.53 as optimal for predicting hematological etiology. Subsequent multivariate analysis demonstrated that the NFR was the sole independent predictor of hematological etiology (p = 0.013).This study proposes a novel approach for early diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening subset of FUO patients. The NFR presents as an inexpensive and readily available marker for predicting hematological etiology in FUO cases.