COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS FOR DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Author(s)
Sian Riena, PharmD1, Sakshi R Mestry, PharmD1, Adrian R Coutinho, PharmD1, Sibyl George, PharmD1, Vijayanarayana Kunhikatta, PhD1, Girish Thunga, PhD1, Raviraj V Acharya, MD2.
1Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India, 2Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
1Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India, 2Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder associated with significant morbidity. Conventional diagnostic markers such as rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies are widely used; however, their utility is limited by cost and accessibility. Hematological parameters and hematological indices of inflammation derived from routine complete blood counts offer simple, affordable, and readily available surrogate markers of systemic inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate their diagnostic accuracy in RA.
METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in a South Indian tertiary care teaching hospital with 722 participants: 361 RA patients and 361 controls. Demographic, clinical, and hematological data were retrieved from medical records and entered into case report forms. Parameters were selected based on statistical significance (p < 0.05) using logistic regression. Sensitivity, specificity, and the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) were calculated to assess diagnostic performance.
RESULTS: Among RA patients, most were women (n = 288), with a median age of 57 years (IQR: 47.5-68.0). Among various hematological parameters and their indices examined neutrophil and platelet counts, red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV)—have emerged as statistically significant diagnostic markers of RA. PLR demonstrated a sensitivity of 68.42% and specificity of 55.68%, with the highest AUROC value (0.646) among the indices, indicating moderate diagnostic accuracy.
CONCLUSIONS: PLR emerged as the most significant hematological parameter, suggesting its potential as an adjunct diagnostic marker for RA. These indices, derived from routine laboratory investigations, may provide cost-effective alternatives to conventional markers. Larger, multicenter studies are warranted to validate these findings and establish hematological indices as reliable diagnostic tools in RA.
METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in a South Indian tertiary care teaching hospital with 722 participants: 361 RA patients and 361 controls. Demographic, clinical, and hematological data were retrieved from medical records and entered into case report forms. Parameters were selected based on statistical significance (p < 0.05) using logistic regression. Sensitivity, specificity, and the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) were calculated to assess diagnostic performance.
RESULTS: Among RA patients, most were women (n = 288), with a median age of 57 years (IQR: 47.5-68.0). Among various hematological parameters and their indices examined neutrophil and platelet counts, red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV)—have emerged as statistically significant diagnostic markers of RA. PLR demonstrated a sensitivity of 68.42% and specificity of 55.68%, with the highest AUROC value (0.646) among the indices, indicating moderate diagnostic accuracy.
CONCLUSIONS: PLR emerged as the most significant hematological parameter, suggesting its potential as an adjunct diagnostic marker for RA. These indices, derived from routine laboratory investigations, may provide cost-effective alternatives to conventional markers. Larger, multicenter studies are warranted to validate these findings and establish hematological indices as reliable diagnostic tools in RA.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
MT42
Topic
Medical Technologies
Disease
Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal), No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas