Background: Cervical cancer, primarily driven by persistent high-risk human papillomavirus
(HPV) infections, remains a significant global health challenge. Systemic inflammatory
markers, such as neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR),
and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), may reflect disease progression. This study examines
the association between these markers and p16 positivity in cervical intraepithelial
neoplasia (CIN) cases. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 395 patients
undergoing LEEP conization. Data on HPV status, p16 immunostaining, and hematological
parameters were collected. Statistical analyses, including Mann–Whitney U and chi-square
tests, assessed relationships between markers and outcomes, with significance set
at p < 0.05. Results: Elevated NLR was significantly associated with p16 positivity
(p = 0.011) and HPV DNA positivity (p = 0.04). HPV-positive individuals showed higher
mean NLR (2.15) compared to HPV-negative individuals (1.61). Receiver operating characteristic
(ROC) analysis demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy for NLR (AUC = 0.610), highlighting
its potential as a biomarker. No significant associations were observed for PLR or
LMR with p16 positivity. These findings suggest systemic inflammation, indicated by
NLR, contributes to HPV persistence and CIN progression. Conclusions: NLR is a valuable
prognostic biomarker for HPV-related cervical disease, correlating with both p16 and
HPV DNA positivity. Incorporating hematological and immunohistochemical markers may
enhance personalized cervical cancer management.
