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Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

DOI

10.3906/sag-0912-418

Abstract

To determine whether red cell distribution width could be used for the assessment of disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Materials and methods: A total of 165 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (105 ulcerative colitis; 60 Crohn's disease) and 43 healthy blood donors were included in this retrospective study in a tertiary care setting. The medical records of the patients were reviewed to note clinical activity indices, red cell distribution width, serum C reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, leukocyte, and platelet counts. Results: Red cell distribution width, serum C reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, platelet count, and the proportion of individuals with increased red cell distribution width were all significantly elevated in the patients compared to the controls (P < 0.05). Red cell distribution width and the proportion of patients having elevated red cell distribution width were higher in patients with Crohn's disease compared with ulcerative colitis (P < 0.05). Red cell distribution width was significantly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, endoscopic activity index (in ulcerative colitis), and platelet count (P < 0.05). For a red cell distribution width cut-off of 14.45 sensitivity for differentiation of Crohn's disease from ulcerative colitis was 70% and specificity was 56%. Conclusion: Red cell distribution width, as a cost-effective tool, could be an additional parameter to assess disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease and an adjunctive marker in the differentiation between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Keywords

Inflammatory bowel disease, red cell distribution width

First Page

227

Last Page

234

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