ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic utility of thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters, which are oxidative stress markers, together with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in diagnosing of urinary tract infections (UTI) in the emergency department (ED).

The study was conducted prospectively and included 63 patients who were admitted to the ED between May 15th, 2018, and October 1st, 2018, and 59 healthy subjects included as the control group. A new method developed by Erel and Neşelioğlu was used to measure the thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters (thiol, disulfide, disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, native thiol/total thiol), and the NLR was studied in the patient and control groups. In addition, the relationship between these parameters and the body temperature and urinary cultures in patients with UTI was investigated as well.

The NLR, disulfide/native thiol, and disulfide/total thiol mean values were found to be significantly higher (p<0.001, 0.013 and 0.009, respectively) in patients with a UTI compared to the control group. Disulfide, disulfide/native thiol, and disulfide/total thiol mean values were found to be significantly higher (p<0.001, <0.001 and <0.001 respectively) in the group with a high body temperature compared to the group without high temperature. Native thiol and total thiol values were found to be significantly lower (p=0.048 and 0.020, respectively) in the group with a positive urine culture compared to the group with a negative urine culture.

Thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters together with the NLR values are diagnostically useful in patients with UTI.