Investigating the Diagnostic Significance of Neutrophil Percentage to Albumin Ratio (NPAR) in Patients with Infectious Meningitis

Abstract

Background: Meningitis, characterized by inflammation of the meninges, typically presents with fever, headache, and neck rigidity. Despite the availability of numerous diagnostic techniques, determining the etiology of infectious meningitis remains challenging, often leading to diagnostic delays and increased mortality. The neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) is a novel biomarker for systemic infection and inflammation. Objective: To assess the neutrophil-to-albumin ratio in cases of infectious meningitis. Methods: Following REC approval (05/01/REC-206-2020), this cross-sectional study included 78 patients with clinical findings consistent with meningitis. Data on age, gender, fever, headache, neck rigidity, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) were collected. NPAR was calculated by dividing the neutrophil percentage by serum albumin levels. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 for T-test (two-tailed) and Pearson Correlation. Results were presented as mean±SD (95% CI) with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The mean age of patients was 27 years. The mean GCS score was 11±1.59, serum albumin levels were 3.44±0.5 mg/dl, neutrophil percentage was 75.6±7.2%, and the neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) was 0.22±0.03. Common symptoms such as fever, neck rigidity, and headache were present in all cases, while seizures were observed in 36 cases. Conclusion: The study indicated a significant correlation between elevated NPAR levels and cases of infectious meningitis, suggesting NPAR as a potential diagnostic marker.