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The association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

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Abstract

The inflammatory response is responsible for the promotion of pannus development over the joint, which is the primary factor in joint injury in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). More in-depth investigations have been conducted in recent years leading to a greater understanding of RA. Yet, it's difficult to gauge inflammation levels in RA patients. Some people who have RA do not exhibit normal symptoms, which makes it more challenging to make a diagnosis. Typical RA evaluations are subject to a few restrictions. Earlier research demonstrated that some patients continued to experience the progression of bone and joint degeneration even while in clinical remission. This progression was attributed to ongoing synovial inflammation. As a result, performing a precise evaluation of the level of inflammation is of the utmost importance. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has consistently been one of the most interesting novel non-specific inflammatory indicators. It is a reflection of the equilibrium between lymphocytes and neutrophils, which are inflammatory regulators and inflammatory activators, respectively. A higher NLR is linked to more severe levels of imbalance and inflammation. The aim of this study was to depict the role of NLR in RA progression and to show if NLR could predict the response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) therapy in RA.

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  1. General Practice Medicine, Yanqing District Hospital, Yanqing Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 102100, China

    Xiangsu Liu, Jiaqi Li & Wenxia Liang

  2. Department of Endocrinology, Yanqing District Hospital, Yanqing Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 102100, China

    Leilei Sun

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050030, China

    Tong Wang

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  1. Xiangsu Liu
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W.L and X.L contributed to the idea design and literature search. J.L., and L.S, wrote parts of the manuscript. T.W. contributed to designing the figure.

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Correspondence to Wenxia Liang.

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Liu, X., Li, J., Sun, L. et al. The association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammopharmacol 31, 2237–2244 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-023-01273-2

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