Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio: a cross-sectional case-control study

Background:Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with unknown etiology. It involves multiple organs and presents as varying clinical manifestations such as renal involvement (nephritis) and hematological disorders. Materials and Methods:One hundred sixty people, divided equally into two groups: SLE patients, diagnosed according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria, and healthy controls matched in age and gender, attending the University Hospitals between April 2019 and January 2021. White blood cells count, neutrophils count, lymphocytes count, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, serum complements (C3 and C4), anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the SLE disease activity by using Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) was compared between the patient group and the control group. Demographic data were collected from all participants, and data on the disease, including disease durations and disease activity, were only collected from the patients. Results:The age of the patients was 30.49 +/- 10.979 years, while it was 34.54 +/- 13.710 years in the control group (P=0.249). In all, 90% were females and 10% were males in the patient's group, while 85% were female and 15% were males in the control group. NLR and PLR were significantly higher in SLE patients compared to healthy control. A significant relation was found between SLEDAI and NLR and PLR. Conclusion:The NLR and PLR are correlated with disease activity while also being cost-effective.