Surrogate scale for evaluating respiratory function based on complete blood count parameters

Abstract

Background: In this study, we aimed to identify a simple method for evaluating respiratory function using complete blood count parameters. Methods: The complete blood count parameters, including red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) level, lymphocyte (Lym) and platelet (Plt) count, and partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) level, were measured using automated analyzers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aged subjects, and young subjects (control group). The red cell index (RCI) was calculated using the following equation: (RBC × Hb)/(Lym × Plt); in theory, the RCI is inversely proportional to the respiratory function. Results: We observed a significant relationship between the RCI and PCO2 values, and between the RCI and FEV1/FVC values (P