Two new inflammatory markers related to the CURB-65 score for disease severity in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: The hypersensitive C-reactive protein to albumin ratio and fibrinogen to albumin ratio

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among hypersensitive C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR), fibrinogen to albumin ratio (FAR), and the CURB-65 score for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) severity. METHODS: Clinical data and laboratory indicators of 82 patients with CAP and 40 healthy subjects were retrospectively analysed. The relationship among CAR, FAR, and the severity of CAP was then analysed. RESULTS: CAR and FAR in patients with low-risk CAP were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P < 0.05). CAR and FAR in patients with medium–high-risk CAP were further increased compared with those in patients with low-risk CAP (P < 0.05). CAR and FAR were positively correlated with hypersensitive C-reactive protein, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and CURB-65 scores (P < 0.05). In the receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting severe CAP, the area under the curve of combining four biomarkers (CAR + FAR + NLR + PLR) was the largest. CAR was also an independent risk factor for severe CAP (OR = 8.789, 95% CI: 1.543–50.064, P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: CAR and FAR may be used as the inflammatory markers for CAP severity evaluation.