Research of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios and platelet-tolymphocyte ratios in systemic lupus erythematosus in Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital

Abstract

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease and has various clinical manifestations affecting organ systems. It is characterized by the deposition of immune complexes due to widespread loss of immune tolerance to nuclear self-antigens, as well as excessive proinflammatory cytokine production. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) and platelet-tolymphocyte ratio (PLR) in SLE are often higher than in the normal population, which is significantly related to disease progression and is an indicator of monitoring disease activity. Therefore, the study was conducted with the aim of understanding the change of some hematological indexes in patients with SLE. Materials and method: The study was conducted on 51 patients with newly diagnosed SLE at the Department of General Internal Medicine - Endocrinology - Musculoskeletal and a control group of 30 healthy people who came to the hospital of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy from June 2022 to March 2023. Results: The NLR and PLR of SLE patients were significantly higher compared to those of the controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.012, respectively). Based on the ROC curve, the best NLR cut-off value to predict SLE was 1.7 with 58.8% sensitivity and 70.0% specificity. NLR was positively correlated with PLR (r = 0.735, p < 0.001) and white blood cells (r = 0.532, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The NLR index can be a useful marker in the assessment of inflammation in patients with SLE Key words: Systemic lupus erythematosus, NLR, PLR.