Table 5.
Pearson’s correlation matrix of circulating markers of inflammation, immune response, and redox balance in all the patients enrolled in the study.
| ESR | Fibrinogen | Ferritin | α2-glob | Neutro | Lympho | NLR | IL-6 | TNF | GSSG/GSH | HNE | MDA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESR | 1 | 0.400 *** | 0.469 *** | 0.491 *** | 0.533 *** | −0.354 *** | 0.499 *** | 0.556 *** | 0.142 * | 0.317 *** | 0.310 *** | 0.266 *** |
| Fibrinogen | 0.400 *** | 1 | 0.297 *** | 0.407 *** | 0.185 ** | −0.18 | 0.120 * | 0.175 ** | 0.213 *** | 0.134 * | −0.002 | 0.075 |
| Ferritin | 0.469 *** | 0.297 *** | 1 | 0.166 ** | 0.358 *** | −0.247 *** | 0.465 *** | 0.250 *** | 0.002 | 0.263 *** | 0.186 ** | 0.069 |
| α2-glob | 0.491 *** | 0.407 *** | 0.166 ** | 1 | 0.287 *** | −0.176 ** | 0.193 ** | 0.318 *** | 0.303 *** | 0.205 *** | 0.131 * | 0.159 ** |
| Neutro | 0.533 *** | 0.185 ** | 0.358 *** | 0.287 *** | 1 | −0.242 *** | 0.832 *** | 0.413 *** | 0.060 | 0.341 *** | 0.260 *** | 0.247 *** |
| Lympho | −0.354 *** | −0.18 | −0.247 *** | −0.176 ** | −0.242 *** | 1 | 0.478 *** | 0.370 *** | 0.055 | −0.208 *** | −0.282 *** | −0.185 *** |
| NLR | 0.499 *** | 0.120 * | 0.465 *** | 0.193 ** | 0.832 *** | 0.478 *** | 1 | 0.444 *** | 0.019 | 0.481 *** | 0.265 *** | 0.301 *** |
| IL-6 | 0.556 *** | 0.175 ** | 0.250 *** | 0.318 *** | 0.413 *** | 0.370 *** | 0.444 *** | 1 | 0.381 *** | 0.365 *** | 0.360 *** | 0.344 *** |
| TNF | −0.142 * | 0.213 *** | 0.002 | −0.303 *** | −0.060 | 0.055 | −0.019 | 0.381 *** | 1 | 0.058 | 0.094 | 0.013 |
| GSSG/GSH | 0.317 *** | 0.134 * | 0.263 *** | 0.205 *** | 0.341 *** | −0.208 *** | 0.481 *** | 0.365 *** | 0.058 | 1 | 0.205 *** | 0.375 *** |
| HNE | 0.310 *** | −0.002 | 0.186 ** | 0.131 * | 0.260 *** | −0.282 *** | 0.265 *** | 0.360 *** | 0.094 | 0.205 *** | 1 | 0.233 *** |
| MDA | 0.266 *** | 0.075 | 0.069 | 0.159 ** | 0.247 *** | −0.185 *** | 0.301 *** | 0.344 *** | 0.013 | 0.375 *** | 0.233 *** | 1 |
ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; α2-glob, α2-globulins; Neutro, neutrophils; Lympho, lymphocytes; NLR, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; IL-6, interleukin-6; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; GSSG/GSH, oxidized/reduced glutathione; HNE, hydroxynonenal–protein adducts; MDA, malondialdehyde–protein adducts. * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.01; *** = p < 0.001. Notably, positive correlations were found between the serum inflammation/immunity markers and blood GSSG/GSH (except TNF), serum HNE–protein adducts (except fibrinogen and TNF), and serum MDA–protein adducts (except fibrinogen, ferritin, and TNF). Additionally, a negative correlation was reported between lymphocyte count and the three markers of redox balance.