C-reactive protein to albumin ratio: An independent prognostic marker to assess the severity of disease in patients with psoriasis vulgaris
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55629/pakjpathol.v37i1.977Abstract
Objective: To determine the relationship between the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) and disease severity in patients with psoriasis vulgaris using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI).
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology, Combined Military Hospital Malir Cantt, Karachi. A total of 94 adults with clinically and histopathologically confirmed psoriasis vulgaris were enrolled. Disease severity was assessed using PASI. Venous blood samples were collected to measure serum CRP and albumin levels, and CAR was calculated. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the association between CAR and PASI.
Results: Among 94 patients, the mean age was 52.2 ± 18.09 years, and 57.4% were male. The mean PASI score was 10.66 ± 6.06, while the mean CAR was 2.71 ± 1.91. CAR showed a strong positive correlation with PASI in the overall sample (r = 0.808, p < 0.001). This association remained significant across subgroups based on gender, age, and disease duration, with the strongest correlations in patients with disease duration ≤24 months (r = 0.862, p < 0.001) and age >60 years (r = 0.849, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: CAR is strongly associated with psoriasis severity and may serve as a simple, inexpensive, and objective biomarker in clinical assessment.
Keywords: Albumin, Biomarkers, C-reactive protein, CRP/ Albumin ratio, PASI score, Psoriasis vulgaris
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