Association of hematological indices, disease activity, and organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus: A multicenter analysis of 319 cases.

INTRODUCTION

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a variable course. There is a need for simple and accessible biomarkers to assess disease activity and prognosis.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the relationship between hematological indices NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) and PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio) with disease activity and organ damage in patients with SLE.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A multicenter retrospective study including 319 patients with SLE. Associations between NLR and PLR with disease activity (SLEDAI-2K), organ damage (SLICC/SDI), hypocomplementemia, mortality, and clinical manifestations were evaluated.

RESULTS

Both indices showed a significant association with disease activity, even after adjusting for confounding factors. No associations were found with organ damage or specific clinical manifestations. NLR was associated with hypocomplementemia, and both indices were linked to mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

NLR and PLR may serve as useful, low-cost, and complementary tools for monitoring disease activity in SLE. Prospective studies are needed to confirm their value as independent biomarkers.