NLR As Marker Of Estrogen And Cortisol Levels

[Aries]

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio NLR can be calculated from complete WBC panel. It's widely available and affordable marker for both acute and chronic inflammation, similar to CRP. Pubmed has a lot of publications on it, most are quite recent. It is also linked to estrogen and cortisol levels. It predicts mortality in various diseases and with its relation to serum estradiol and cortisol levels seems to confirm the link between stress hormones and degenerative diseases.

Prognostic Role of Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PubMed
The Relation Between Atherosclerosis and the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio - PubMed

Normal range is about 1-3. The study below suggests 0.78-3.53 as normal range.
What Is the Normal Value of the Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio? - PubMed

Estrogen increases total leukocytes, monocytes and neutrophils but decreases lymphocytes
Design and Protocol of Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) Study With 47 to 55-year-old Women's Cohort: Novel Results Show Menopause-Related Differences in Blood Count - PubMed
Estrogen Serum Concentration Affects Blood Immune Cell Composition and Polarization in Human Females Under Controlled Ovarian Stimulation - PubMed

Acute rise in cortisol from running increases NLR
Lymphocyte Proliferative Response to 2.5 Hours of Running - PubMed

Lower cortisol and neutrophils from adequate sleep
Self-reported Sleep Duration, White Blood Cell Counts and Cytokine Profiles in European Adolescents: The HELENA Study - PubMed

Low neutrophils and thus low NLR is associated with poor performance. High testosterone:cortisol ratio predicts better performance so this is against NLR as being good measure of cortisol status.
Biomarkers of Physiological Responses to Periods of Intensified, Non-Resistance-Based Exercise Training in Well-Trained Male Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PubMed

Overtrained athletes had surprisingly lower NLR than their healthy counterparts. Despite lower T:E ratio.
Basal Hormones and Biochemical Markers as Predictors of Overtraining Syndrome in Male Athletes: The EROS-BASAL Study - PubMed

Is NLR a good measure of cortisol, estrogen, inflammation status?

 

[haidut]

Is NLR a good measure of cortisol, estrogen, inflammation status?

NLR is indeed highly predictive of the course of disease such as cancer. If you Google it a lot of information will come up.
I think it can provide useful information for cortisol/estrogen if it is combined with prolactin and it is tested more than once. The NLR by itself can be skewed by things that do not change cortisol/estrogen much such as viral infections, exposure to cold, steroid use, etc.

 

[Aries]

NLR is indeed highly predictive of the course of disease such as cancer. If you Google it a lot of information will come up.
I think it can provide useful information for cortisol/estrogen if it is combined with prolactin and it is tested more than once. The NLR by itself can be skewed by things that do not change cortisol/estrogen much such as viral infections, exposure to cold, steroid use, etc.

Do you mean acute viral infection like a flu or can some chronic viral issue like herpes or warts influence the result as well?

 

[scoobydoo]

The low NRL and overtrained athletes connection seems to definitely be true in my case. My blood work after looking back, has consistently been around .5 for NLR

 

[haidut]

Do you mean acute viral infection like a flu or can some chronic viral issue like herpes or warts influence the result as well?

Most viral infections have to be acute in order to affect the NLR. So, flu, COVID-19, common cold, etc would count. A chronic herpes infection does not count because the virus is latent. However, if it gets reactivated by stress of some sort then it would affect the NLR.

 

[Aries]

The low NRL and overtrained athletes connection seems to definitely be true in my case. My blood work after looking back, has consistently been around .5 for NLR

How many times have you tested NLR and in what timespan? How about other inflammatory markers like hsCRP or acute phase proteins, do they suggest low inflammation?

 

[scoobydoo]

How many times have you tested NLR and in what timespan? How about other inflammatory markers like hsCRP or acute phase proteins, do they suggest low inflammation?

Haven’t tested CRP ever
But I’ve gotten NLR for many years and it’s pretty consistently low

 

[Aries]

Interesting. I have also tested NLR three times, first time in 2018 always below the range. Ferritin is also low, CRP undetectable. Inflammation seems suspiciously low and I wonder if the dysregulated inflammatory response is what causes the inability to adapt to the stress in overtraining syndrome. Like taking aspirin around workouts interferes with the recovery and anabolism IIRC.

 

[mangoes]

Last time I got bloods done mine was 0.88 and I wasn’t suffering any viral infection. I’ve also always had low estradiol levels when tested, either below range or just above it. CRP has always been suspiciously low too. I really need to get cortisol checked. Thanks for the thread tho I’d never made the link between estrogen and NLR before

 

[scoobydoo]

So my first comment was a bit inaccurate. There has been a big trend downwards. It has been in range before (2+ years back) whats interesting is during times when I have been exercising LESS and eating more carbs, the NLR has trended downwards. This seems contradictory..?

 

[golder]

I'm trying to work out if my uric acid levels which are above the upper limit of the reference range is something to be concerned about?
My result was 453umol/L (range 200-430)
I know Ray regards it as fundamental to our antioxidant system, but I assume there is a point of diminishing returns?
Thanks if anyone can give me their opinion :)