Artritis; Niño; Número de Leucocitos; Volumen Medio de Plaquetas; Artritis Idiopática Juvenil; Reumatología; Hematología; Biomarcadores Inmunológicos; Laboratorio de Hematología

Abstract

Early diagnosis and treatment of arthritis are essential for the prognosis of the disease. Especially during the active phase of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a prompt diagnosis is necessary to manage the disease properly. New inflammation markers such as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) have been investigated in various inflammatory disorders.

This study aimed at the diagnostic value of NLR, MLR, MPV, and PDW in differentiating JIA in children with arthritis.

Patients and Method: Case-control study with 324 children with arthritis (case group) and 324 healthy children (control group). Additionally, children with arthritis were grouped into JIA and non-JIA. Medical records of children aged 0-18 were retrospectively reviewed. Hematological parameters at the time of diagnosis were recorded. NLR, MLR, MPV, and PDW were analyzed in the study groups.

Results: In the case group, 52.8% were boys, and 47.2% were girls; the mean age was 7.7 ± 4.0 years. The NLR in the case group was significantly higher than the control one (p = 0.001). The mean MPV was lower in the case group than the control group (p = 0.001). There were no differences in NLR and MPV between JIA and non-JIA groups (p = 0.062, p = 0.689). The JIA group’s mean PDW was lower than the non-JIA group (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: The increase in NLR may indicate inflammation but has no superiority in distinguishing JIA from other arthritis causes. Platelet distribution width was lower in JIA patients, but its clinical utility is limited.