Background: The neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have the potential to be inflammatory markers that reflect the activity of many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NLR and PLR as potential markers of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Methods: The study involved 132 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 81 healthy controls matched in terms of age and gender. Their sociodemographic data, disease activity scores using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts were recorded. The patients with ankylosing spondylitis were further divided according to their BASDAI scores into patients with inactive disease (BASDAI < 4) and patients with active disease (BASDAI ≥4). The correlations between the NLR, PLR and disease activity were analysed. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the NLR and PLR between the active and inactive ankylosing spondylitis patients (2.31 ± 1.23 vs. 1.77 ± 0.73, p = 0.002), (142.04 ± 70.98 vs. 119.24 ± 32.49, p < 0.001, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in both the NLR and PLR between the healthy control group and ankylosing spondylitis patients (p > 0.05). In addition, the PLR was significantly higher in both the active and inactive groups compared to those in the healthy control group (142.04 ± 70.98 vs. 99.32 ± 33.97, p = 0.014), (119.24 ± 32.49 vs. 99.32 ± 33.97, p = 0.019). The BASDAI scores were positively correlated with the PLR (r = 0.219, p = 0.012) and the NLR, but they were not statistically significant with the later (r = 0.170, p = 0.051). Based on the ROC curve, the best NLR cutoff value for predicting severe disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis patients was 1.66, with a sensitivity of 61.8% and a specificity of 50.6%, whereas the best PLR cutoff value was 95.9, with a sensitivity of 70.9% and a specificity of 55.5%. Conclusion: The PLR may be used as a useful marker in the assessment and monitoring of disease activity in AS together with acute phase reactants such as the ESR.

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Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial chronic systemic autoimmune disease. It is characterized by a lack of immune tolerance to autoantigens such as nuclear antigens. The aim of the study is to assess the interferon-alpha (IFN-α) serum level in Iraqi patients with SLE and determine its potential relation to different clinical and laboratory parameters and disease activity. 100 SLE patients were all females and with a mean of age 31.3 ± 10 years (16-63years) and disease duration of 5.8 ± 3.7years (1 month to 15 years). The average of SLEDAI score ranged from 2 to 22 with a mean of (8.53 ±3.42). Proteinuria, ESR, creatinine and AST were significantly higher (65% vs. 10% and 0.62±0.11 vs. 0.70±0.14 mg/dl respectively) while the PLT was significantly lower (231.9±88.8 vs. 282.3±67.3 103/mL) (p< 0.001) among SLE patients as compared to control. Serum levels of IFN-α were increased in the SLE patients compared to control, and no significant difference has been observed (208.7±530.0 vs. 63.7±34.8 pg/ml) respectively (P=0.245). Interferon-alpha showed a significant negative correlation with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) in the active and inactive groups. There were no significant variations in all study parameters across IFN-α serum levels (p greater than 0.05). In conclusion, the results suggest a risk effect for female gender and age in etiology of SLE. IFN-α could not be considered as biomarker or to have a risk effect in SLE patients or perpetuate the disease activity. No evidence for any correlation between the IFN-α serum level and any clinical manifestations or laboratory investigation of the disease in current study except for age and disease duration, which suggests them as a risk factor for increasing the IFN-α serum level.