The importance of red cell distribution width and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a new biomarker in rheumatoid arthritis

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 98 - 103, 04.01.2019

Tuba Tülay Koca , Aydın Arslan , Filiz Çiledağ Özdemir , Ejder Berk

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.376346

Cited By: 4

Abstract

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis
(RA) is a long-lasting autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints.
Various
biomarkers have been used for the prognosis and clinical follow-up. There are
few studies that have investigated whether or not neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio
(NLR) and red
cell distribution width (RDW) are good indicators of systemic
inflammation. The present study aims to explore the prognostic value of RDW and
NLR in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a new inflammatory marker.

Methods: RA patients (n = 124) who presented to the Rheumatology outpatient clinic
in our hospital between March 2015 and May 2015 were included in this study
retrospectively. As a first group, 47 clinically active RA patients who had high
acute phase proteins were included. In the second group, 73 clinically
in-remission RA patients who had normal acute phase proteins were included.
Fifty-five healthy volunteers constituted the control group.

Results: The mean RDW was found to be 15.2 ± 2.9 in the active group; 14.6 ± 2 in
the inactive group and 13.4 ± 1.4 in the control group (p < 0.01). The mean NLR was found to be 3.7 ± 2.2 in the active
group; 3.7 ± 1.6 in the inactive group and 3.2 ± 0.9 in the control group (p = 0.190). There were statistically
significant differences between the RDW values of the active-period RA patients
with the control group (p < 0.01).
There was statistically significant difference between RDW values of active RA
and inactive RA patients (p < 0.01).
The NLR results between the RA group
and the control group (p = 0.700); the
active RA group, and the inactive RA group (p
= 0.169) were similar. There was not statistically difference between the NLR
values of active RA patients with the control group (p = 0.360). There was statistically difference between the NLR
values of inactive RA patients with the control group (p = 0.047).

Conclusion: RDW was found higher in
all RA group than control, additionally was also higher in active RA group than
remission group. NLR values of remission group was higher than control. 

Keywords

rheumatoid arthritis, biomarker, erythrocyte distribution width, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio

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