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Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Is Increased in Patients with Pemphigus: A Case-Control Study
Rimma Laufer Britva1, Mouhammad Kridin2, Khalaf Kridin3
1Department of Dermatology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science
|May 6, 2020
Summary
Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is elevated in pemphigus patients, suggesting it may be a useful biomarker for the disease. Higher RDW levels were observed in pemphigus vulgaris compared to pemphigus foliaceus.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Hematology
- Immunology
Background:
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is recognized as an inflammatory marker in various inflammatory conditions.
- RDW's role in pemphigus, an autoimmune blistering disease, remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate RDW levels in pemphigus patients compared to healthy controls.
- To assess the correlation between RDW and pemphigus disease characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 183 pemphigus patients and 915 controls.
- Measurement of RDW, hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in all participants.
Main Results:
- Pemphigus patients exhibited significantly higher RDW than controls (13.7±1.3% vs. 13.4±1.1%, P=0.001).
- RDW was significantly associated with pemphigus in multivariate analysis (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.46; P=0.036).
- RDW was higher in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) than pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and in mucocutaneous PV versus other forms; RDW increased post-treatment (P<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Elevated RDW in pemphigus patients suggests its potential as a biomarker.
- Increased RDW may indicate PV over PF and mucocutaneous PV over other subtypes.
- Post-treatment RDW elevation might be linked to corticosteroid-induced erythropoiesis.
