Association of Neutrophil – to- Lymphocyte ratio as an inflammatory marker in patients with primary Osteoarthritis of the hands

Background and objectives: Hand osteoarthritis is a common joint disease that causes pain and functional impairment. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is a novel marker, it can be used for evaluating inflammatory activity in chronic inflammatory disorders. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with primary osteoarthritis of the hands. Patients and methods: This case-control research was carried out in the Rheumatology department of Rizgary Teaching Hospital from March 2022 to March 2023. It included fifty patients who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for diagnosis of hand osteoarthritis and fifty healthy controls matched in sex, age, and body mass index. laboratory investigations including (CBC, ESR, CRP) were collected. Values of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio were measured for both groups. Secondary causes of osteoarthritis were excluded. Results: No significant difference was detected between the two groups in neutrophils (p= 0.495), lymphocytes (p=1.000), and CRP (p =1.000). The differences were significant (p=0.025) in ESR which was higher among patients in comparison to controls. The median of Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was higher in patients compared to control, but insignificantly (P=0.311). Moreover, seven patients had a high Neutrophil-Lymphocyte ratio as compared with only 3 individuals in the control group, again insignificantly (P = 0.182). Conclusion: The current study did not find Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio to be a reliable indicator of inflammation in the settings of primary osteoarthritis of the hands.