Contribution of laboratory data to diagnosis and treatment in patients with brucellosis: a 5-year cross-sectional analysis
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate laboratory findings in patients with brucellosis in our region where livestock farming is widespread and to examine their contribution in diagnosis.Methods: 254 patients who presented to our hospital’s infectious diseases outpatient clinic with various complaints between 2017 and 2021, tested positive standard tube agglutination (STA), were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups based on their STA titers: low titers (1/80 and 1/160) and high titers (≥1/320). These two groups were compared regarding demographic data, laboratory data, and symptoms at presentation.Results: According to STA titer, 93 patients (36.6%) had low titers, while 161 patients (63.4%) had high titers. The most common complaints were low back pain and with no significant difference between the two groups. The mean C-reactive protein (CRP) value was higher in the low titer group than in the high titer group, and a significant difference was found between the two groups. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values were slightly higher in the low titer group than in the high titer group, but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study found that laboratory parameters such as CRP, ESR, NLR, and PLR were higher in patients with low titers compared to those with high titers, but significant difference was found only in CRP. Therefore, we believe that in addition to the STA test used in the diagnosis of brucellosis, other laboratory parameters can also assist the clinician in diagnosis.