Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the albumin/lymphocyte ratio (ALR) and mean platelet volume/lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR) novel inflammatory markers not previously studied in hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) as potential biomarkers in patients diagnosed with HG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 68 first-trimester pregnant women with clinically diagnosed HG and 78 healthy pregnant controls were included. Systemic inflammatory markers including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), albumin/fibrinogen ratio (AFR), fibrinogen/lymphocyte ratio (FLR), magnesium/lymphocyte ratio (MgLR), ALR, MPVLR, and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) were calculated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Lymphocyte counts and ketonuria levels were significantly higher in the HG group. Conversely, ALR and MPVLR values were significantly lower in the HG group. MPVLR was identified as a potential diagnostic marker for HG with a cutoff value of 4.569, yielding a sensitivity of 54.4% and specificity of 44.9%. ALR demonstrated a cutoff value of 22.853 with a sensitivity of 61.8% and specificity of 38.5%. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the previous literature, PLR and NLR levels were not elevated in HG patients. However, ALR and MPVLR previously unexamined in this population were significantly lower, suggesting a potential role in HG pathophysiology. The findings underscore the complexity and dynamic nature of inflammatory responses in HG, warranting further investigation.