The relevance of practical laboratory markers in predicting gastrointestinal and renal involvement in children with Henoch–Schönlein Purpura

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Henoch–Schönlein Purpura (HSP) is the most common self-limiting vasculitis of childhood. Both serious gastrointestinal and renal complications may be observed during the disease course. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of hematological markers in predicting the likely complications of the disease.

Methods

The demographic findings, clinical features, organ involvements and laboratory findings including white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volumes (MPV), MPV/platelet count ratio (MPR) were evaluated retrospectively from the charts of the patients with HSP and all these parameters were compared with the same parameters of healthy children.

Results

A total of 376 patients with HSP and age- and sex-matched 233 healthy children were evaluated. Mean age at the diagnosis was 7.5 ± 3.5. All patients had palpable purpura, 46% had arthritis, 56.1% GIS involvement and 21.3% had renal involvement. While platelet counts, neutrophil counts, NLR, and PLR were higher, lymphocyte counts, MPV, and MPR were lower in patients with GIS involvement. NLR was the sole biomarker that was higher in patients with renal involvement.

Conclusions

This study had shown that platelet counts, neutrophil counts, NLR, and PLR were increasing and lymphocyte counts, MPV, and MPR were decreasing when the patients had GIS involvement. However, these parameters were not relevant in distinguishing severe and mild GIS involvement. When patients had renal involvement NLR was the unique elevated parameter.

KEYWORDS:

• Gastrointestinal system involvement
• Henoch–Schönlein Purpura
• neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio
• platelet/lymphocyte ratio
• renal involvement

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank Begüm Ayaz for her carefully correcting typos.

Compliance with ethical standards

The study was reviewed and approved by the local ethical review committee of (Ethics approval number: 2018/11/54).

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Declaration of interest

The contents of the paper and the opinions expressed within are those of the authors, and it was the decision of the authors to submit the manuscript for publication.

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

No funding