BACKGROUND AND AIM: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lung disease of unknown cause, characterized by inflammation. Neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and platelet count ratios indicate chronic inflammation rather than individual cell populations. Biomarkers are important in assessing disease risk, early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response. We aimed to analyze haematological indices as indicators of inflammation in newly diagnosed IPF patients and compare them with healthy controls and patients receiving antifibrotic therapy.

METHODS: The study evaluated the demographic characteristics and haematological parameters of 55 IPF patients on anti-fibrotic therapy and 20 healthy controls. New hematological indexes were assessed at the time of diagnosis and after one year of treatment.

RESULTS: No significant differences were found in age and gender between IPF patients and healthy controls. Pre-treatment inflammatory markers were significantly higher in the IPF group compared to the healthy control group. There were no significant differences in inflammatory markers before and after anti-fibrotic treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Neutrophils, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, systemic inflammatory index, systemic inflammation response index and aggregate index of systemic inflammation can be used as of inflammation and prognostic markers for antifibrotic treatment and follow-up in IPF. As these parameters are part of routine laboratory investigations, their use is considered to be simple, low-cost and practical.