Red Cell Distribution Width to Albumin Ratio in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with a complex etiology and primarily involves synovial joints. The ratio of RDW to albumin, known as RAR, provides a comprehensive representation of the inflammatory response in patients when compared to individual markers such as RDW and albumin. However, whether RAR is associated with RA disease activity and severity remains unclear.Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the relation between red cell distribution width to albumin ratio and disease activity and severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: This case control study was conducted on 60 RA patients who diagnosed according to American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) 2010 criteria and subdivided according to disease activity using disease activity score-28/CRP (DAS-28/CRP score) into patients with high,moderate, low activity or in remission; together with 30 healthy volunteers as control group after exclusion of pregnancy, other autoimmune disease, disease primary affect RDW or serum Albumin level, and usage of Methotrexate. All patients were subjected to medical history, full clinical examination, assessment of disease activity and severity, and RAR was investigated with the routine investigation.Results:There was a statistically significant increase in RAR in RA patients and in patients with deformity or morning stiffness. There is a highly significant positive correlation between RAR and inflammatory markers, disease activity, and severity.Conclusion: RAR may have a valuable role in the assessment of disease activity and severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.