Diagnostic value of the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in discrimination between tuberculosis and bacterial community acquired pneumonia: A <i>meta</i>-analysis

Background We conducted a systematic review and meta -analysis, based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, to evaluate current literature on diagnostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in discrimination between tuberculosis (TB) and bacterial community acquired pneumonia (B-CAP). Methods Literature search was conducted from July 20, 2023 using Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. STATA software (version 12.0; Stata Corporation) was used for all analyses. Results We found that patients with TB had significantly lower levels of NLR compared to those with B-CAP (SMD = -1.09, 95 %CI = -1.78- -0.40, P = 0.002). In the quality subgroup analysis, we found that patients with TB had significantly lower level of NLR compared to those with B-CAP consistent in moderate (SMD = -0.86, 95 %CI = -2.30, 0.57, P = 0.23) and high-quality studies (SMD = -1.25, 95 %CI = -2.07, -0.42). In the subgroup analysis based on continent, we found that patients with TB had significantly lower level of NLR compared to those with B-CAP in studies performed in Asian populations (SMD = -1.37, 95 %CI = -2.13, -0.61, P Conclusion Patients with TB had a significantly lower NLR levels compared to those with B-CAP, so we utilized this biomarker for distinguishing between the disorders.