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Elevated platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis: a retrospective study

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Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the diagnostic and prognostic value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM).

Method

Clinical data of 200 patients with PM/DM and 204 healthy controls were retrospectively reviewed. We examined whether the PLR and NLR were associated with PM/DM.

Results

The PLR and NLR were higher in patients with PM/DM than in controls (both P < 0.001). The PLR and NLR were higher in patients with DM than in those with PM (both P < 0.01). The PLR was higher in the anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein-5 (anti-MDA5) + PM/DM group than in the anti-MDA5- PM/DM group (P = 0.002). The NLR in non-survivors was higher than that in survivors (P = 0.01). The NLR was positively correlated with the occurrence of interstitial lung disease (ILD). The PLR and NLR were independent predictors of PM/DM, as well as risk factors (both P < 0.001). Moreover, the NLR had a predictive value for PM/DM-ILD and was closely related to mortality (P = 0.033, P = 0.003, respectively).

Conclusions

Patients with PM/DM have a higher NLR and PLR than healthy controls, especially in those with anti-MDA5+. The PLR and NLR are independent risk factors for PM/DM and have some predictive value. The NLR is correlated with ILD and associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with PM/DM. The NLR and PLR may be simple, economical, and accurate diagnostic and prognostic markers for patients with PM/DM.

Key points

• The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been studied in numerous inflammatory diseases as potential markers, but their clinical significance in polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) remains unclear.

• We examined the changes in the NLR and PLR between patients with PM/DM and healthy controls, as well as their association with mortality, interstitial lung disease, and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein-5.

• Patients with PM/DM may benefit from using the NLR and PLR as simple, economical, and accurate diagnostic and prognostic markers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ellen Knapp, PhD, from Liwen Bianji (Edanz) (www.liwenbianji.cn/), for editing the English text of this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Fund Project, Grant NO. 82201994), and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (General Program, Grant NO. ZR2022MH016 and Youth fund project, Grant NO. ZR2021QH043).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, **an, 250021, Shandong, China

    Meiqi Li, Suyan Yan, Zhenzhen Ma & Qingrui Yang

  2. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, **an, 250021, Shandong, China

    Rongrong Dong, Weizhen **ang, Zhenzhen Ma & Qingrui Yang

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  1. Meiqi Li
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Correspondence to Zhenzhen Ma or Qingrui Yang.

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This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong First Medical University (SWYX: NO. 2022-328). All participants signed the informed consent form.

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Supplementary Figure S1. Receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting ILD in patients with PM/DM. Abbreviations: PM polymyositis, DM dermatomyositis, ILD interstitial lung disease

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Li, M., Yan, S., Dong, R. et al. Elevated platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis: a retrospective study. Clin Rheumatol 42, 1615–1624 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-023-06542-7

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