Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahid Mostafa Khomaeini Hospital, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

2 Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

Abstract

 Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by synovial involvement, inflammation, and
joint destruction that, if not properly controlled, can damage cartilage, bone, ligaments, and tendons and, in some cases, lead to
disability. The aim of this study was to identify inflammatory biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
This case-control study was performed on 50 rheumatoid arthritis patients who referred to the Rheumatology Clinic of Shahid
Mostafa Khomeini Hospital in Ilam and their healthy counterparts. All patients were examined by a rheumatologist for disease
activity based on DAS28 (Disease Activity Score Calculator for Rheumatoid Arthritis) criteria.
The results of this study showed that the mean lymphocyte count in the case group was lower than the control group, and there
was a statistically significant relationship between lymphocyte level in the two groups. The mean neutrophil count was higher in
the case group than in the control group, and this relationship was significant. The mean neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was higher
in patients with rheumatoid arthritis than in controls and in women more than men. Stepwise logistic regression also showed that
age, sex, DAS28, VitD (Vitamin D), RF (rheumatoid factor), and NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) significantly predict the
incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (
p value < 0.05). Therefore, NLR can be used as a prognostic factor.

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