The value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as complementary diagnostic tools in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter retrospective study

Abstract

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have drawn attention in recent years as novel non-specific inflammatory markers; however, only a few studies have been conducted to investigate their value in RA. Objective: To investigate the value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as complementary diagnostic tools in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method: This study included 1009 patients with RA, 170 patients with other rheumatic diseases, and 245 healthy individuals from four medical centers. The patients' general data, including complete blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and rheumatoid factor (RF), were retrospectively analyzed, and the NLR and PLR were calculated. Potential effective indicators were screened by logistic regression analysis, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate their diagnostic value for RA. Results: (a) The NLR and PLR were significantly higher in the RA group than in the non-RA group and the control group (P .05). The PLR was positively correlated with RF (r =.139, P