Associations between lifestyles and neutrophil‐lymphocyte and platelet‐lymphocyte ratios in colorectal cancer

Aims To explore the etiology of the neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio ( NLR ) and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio ( PLR ) abnormalities in colorectal cancer. Methods In total, 230 patients with histopathologically confirmed colorectal cancer from A ugust 2009 to A ugust 2011 were recruited to our study. The associations between lifestyles (smoking, alcohol and pickled food consumption) and pretreatment NLR and PLR were estimated using the K ruskal– W allis tests and linear regression model. Results The K ruskal– W allis test showed a significant association between pickled food intake and pretreatment NLR but not PLR ( P  = 0.002, 0.057, respectively). Pairwise comparisons showed that, compared with those with a moderately frequent (2–3 times/week) and an infrequent (≤ once a week) intake of pickled food, high frequency (≥ four times/week) consumption of pickled food had a higher pretreatment NLR ( P  = 0.01, 0.007, respectively). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed pretreatment NLR increased significantly in high frequency (≥ four times/week) consumption of pickled food ( P  < 0.0001). No association between other lifestyle factors and pretreatment PLR was found. Conclusions A higher frequency intake of pickled food possibly contributes to higher NLR , which may reflect a systemic inflammatory response in colorectal cancer.