Correlation of hematological parameters, antibodies and cytokines with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The aim of the study was to investigate the association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (PLR) with standard inflammation parameters, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), complement component C3, anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA), anti-nucleosome and anti-C1q antibodies, and serum and urinary monocyte-chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Results This study included 160 patients (145 female and 15 male patients), hospitalized at the Rheumatology Department. A positive correlation between NLR and ESR ( p < 0.01), anti-dsDNA antibodies ( p < 0.05), and PLR ( p < 0.001) was obtained, with a negative correlation with C3 ( p < 0.005). PLR shows a positive correlation with ESR ( p < 0.001), CRP ( p < 0.005), anti-dsDNA antibodies ( p < 0.001), anti-nucleosome antibodies ( p < 0.05), and urine MCP-1 ( p < 0.05), with a negative correlation with C3 ( p < 0.005). Univariate analysis showed that all the examined laboratory parameters were independent predictors of disease activity ( p < 0.001), while the method of standard multiple regression analysis revealed the most significant ESR and serum MCP-1 ( p < 0.05). Conclusions NLR and PLR, as inexpensive and accessible biomarkers, can help in routine clinical practice for the estimation of disease activity in SLE patients.