Red cell distribution width as a biomarker of disease activity in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
World Journal of Gastroenterology, cilt.32, sa.38, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 32 Sayı: 38
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3748/wjg.121569
- Dergi Adı: World Journal of Gastroenterology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Crohn’s disease, Disease activity, Inflammatory bowel disease, Red cell distribution width, Ulcerative colitis
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Red cell distribution width (RDW) has emerged as a potential inflammatory marker in various chronic inflammatory conditions, yet its role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains insufficiently understood. To investigate the association between RDW parameters [RDW-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) and RDW-standard deviation (RDW-SD)] and disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). This retrospective study included 455 patients diagnosed with IBD (365 UC, 90 CD) who were followed at a tertiary referral center between 2018 and 2025. Disease activity was classified using the UC endoscopic index of severity for UC and the CD activity index for CD. RDW-CV and RDW-SD values were compared across disease activity categories (remission, mild, moderate, severe) and between remission vs active disease groups. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, χ2 tests, and receiver operating characteristic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained (E-25/735). In CD, RDW-CV values were significantly higher in patients with moderate disease activity compared with those in remission and mild activity groups (P = 0.02). However, this significance was observed only across activity categories; when disease activity was dichotomized as remission vs active disease, RDW-CV did not show a significant difference (P = 0.25). In UC, RDW-CV was progressively higher in moderate and severe disease compared with remission and mild disease (P < 0.001). When evaluated as remission vs active disease, RDW-CV was also significantly higher in active UC (P = 0.002). RDW-SD did not show significant differences across activity groups in either disease. RDW-CV is associated with increased disease activity in UC and may partially reflect disease severity in CD. As an inexpensive and easily accessible biomarker, RDW may provide supportive information when evaluating inflammatory burden in IBD; however, prospective multicenter studies are needed to validate its clinical utility. These findings suggest that RDW-CV may serve as a practical adjunct biomarker for disease activity assessment, particularly in settings where endoscopic evaluation is not readily available.