Blood systemic inflammatory markers in adult brucella knee arthritis

Abstract Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been documented as blood biomarkers of systemic inflammation. The aim of the current research was to examine these blood biomarkers in brucella knee arthritis. Methods: Fifty-three brucella knee arthritis subjects and 42 healthy subjects were included . The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C reactive protein (CRP) levels were compared. White blood cells (WBC), MPV, platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were determined from complete blood counts. The PLR and NLR were calculated. Results: We found that CRP, ESR, and MPV levels were considerably increased in brucella knee arthritis than control groups (p<0.001, p=0.024, p=0.024). Moreover, the brucella arthritis patients had lower NLR and neutrophil counts compared to the control participants (p=0.027, p=0.007). According to the Pearson’s correlation analysis, the serum agglutination tests with titers were positively related to the lymphocyte counts (p=0.009, r=0.355) in the patients. Conclusions: We observed statistically significant differences between the brucella knee arthritis patients and the healthy subjects with respect to MPV and NLR. These parameters may be beneficial markers in the assessment of systemic inflammation in patients with brucella arthritis.