Analysis of the correlations of the NLR with CRP, ESR and DAS28-ESR, the three most extensively used parameters for RA disease activity assessment, showed that all these indices were weakly positively correlated with the NLR (R2 = 0.076, P < .001; R2 = 0.033, P < .001; and R2 = 0.020, P < .001, respectively) (Fig. 2A). This evidence concerns the gene CRP and rheumatoid arthritis.