Background: The role of hematological indices in follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) has not been extensively investigated.
Objectives: To evaluate the role of hematological indices as inflammatory markers in PTB course in diabetes mellitus (DM) and non-diabetes mellitus (NDM) patients.
Methodology: The present prospective cohort study included a total of 90 active pulmonary tuberculosis patients. They were grouped into 30 uncontrolled (DM-TB), 30 controlled (DM-TB), and 30 (NDM-TB) patients. All have active smear-positive PTB. The following parameters were reported before starting anti-TB treatment (baseline), and at 1^st, and2^nd months after starting treatment; mean corpuscle volume (MCV), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), mean corpuscle hemoglobin  (MCH), mean corpuscle hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean platelet volume (MPV),platelet distribution width (PDW),neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR),  monocyte lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR).
Results: the MCV and RDW were significantly higher in the uncontrolled DM-TB group than in the other two groups, and in the controlled DM-TB group than in the NDM-TB group at baseline,1^st and2^nd months. The RDW was significantly decreased from baseline till 2^nd month in the uncontrolled and controlled DM-TB groups. The MPV was significantly lower in uncontrolled DM-TB group than in the other two groups, and in controlled DM-TB group than in the NDM-TB group at baseline, 1^st and 2^nd months. PDW was significantly reduced in uncontrolled and controlled DM-TB groups than in the NDM-TB group at 2^nd month. In the uncontrolled and controlled DM-TB groups, the MPV and PDW were significantly increased during follow-up. The NLR and PLR were significantly higher in uncontrolled DM-TB group than the other two groups and in controlled DM-TB group than in NDM-TB group at 1^st month. MLR was significantly higher in uncontrolled DM-TB group than in the other two groups and in controlled DM-TB group than in NDM-TB group at 1^st and 2^nd months. In uncontrolled DM-TB and controlled DM-TB groups the NLR, PLR, and MLR were decreased during follow-up.
Conclusion: The MCV, RDW, MPV, PDW, NLR, PLR and MLR could have an important role in follow-up of PTB in diabetic patients and in predicting treatment outcome.