New inflammatory markers associated with disease activity in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic Antibody-associated vasculitis

Objectives To explore the relationship between the levels of new inflammatory markers (MLR, PLR, NLR, SII and SIRI) and the disease activity in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. Patients and methods In this study, 974 patients with AAV were included. On the basis of the Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS), the patients were divided into high-disease-activity (BVAS ≥ 12) and low-disease-activity (BVAS < 12) groups. The new inflammatory markers in the two groups were compared. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to assess the influencing factors of disease activity in patients with AAV. Results The levels of MLR, NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI in the high-disease-activity group significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared with those in the low-disease-activity group, and some indictors (SII and SIRI) recovered after AAV disease-inducing remission. Furthermore, the MLR, NLR, SII, SIRI, and BVAS of the patients with AAV with renal involvement significantly increased (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that these new inflammation markers were positively correlated with BVAS and traditional inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (all P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that MLR, NLR and SIRI were independent risk factors for high disease activity (P < 0.05). Conclusion These nonspecific inflammatory indicators, derived from routine blood tests, may serve as potential supportive markers for assessing disease activity in patients with AAV.