A NEW INFLAMMATION MARKER IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: IMMATURE GRANULOCYTE

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to reveal whether immature granulocyte levels can be used for determining the disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in the Kastamonu Rehabilitation Center. The data of 163 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were reviewed retrospectively. Laboratory data of 92 healthy individuals were used for the control group. Complete blood cell counts, measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein level were used for the laboratory assessments. The individuals with active infection and any hematological, cardiovascular, metabolic disorder, malignancy, history of trauma, surgery, and hospitalization within the last 15 days were excluded from the study. Results: We found that the number and percentage of immature granulocyte were significantly higher in the patient group (p<0.05). A positive correlation was found between immature granulocyte and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.171 p=0.03), immature granulocyte and C-reactive protein (r=0.321 p<0.001) in the patient group. In the rheumatoid arthritis group, the number and percentage of immature granulocytes were statistically significantly higher in patients with C-reactive protein >5 than those with C-reactive protein ≤ 5 (p<0.05). Conclusion: The immature granulocytes can be a rapid, easily accessible and cost-effective parameter that indicates inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. It may be useful to use this parameter in the evaluation of disease activity.