Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS) and the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-six End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients on maintenance hemodialysis were recruited for the study. Malnutrition Inflammation Score, biochemical parameters, and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 56.47 ± 17.3 years. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the CRP/albumin ratio and MIS ≥7 (r = 0.413, p = 0.026), CRP and MIS ≥7 (r = 0.388, p = 0.038) and a negative correlation between albumin and MIS (r = -0.511, p = 0.005). Additionally, MIS was negatively correlated with hemoglobin (r = -0.412, p = 0.026) and creatinine (r = -0.568, p = 0.001), while a positive correlation was found between MIS and ferritin (r = 0.584, p = 0.001) for MIS ≥7. A multiple regression ANOVA model confirmed a significant association between CAR, CRP, albumin, and MIS (F = 6.432, p = 0.002), with significant contributions from CAR (p = 0.003), albumin (p = 0.008), and CRP (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our study is the first to show an independent association between CAR and MIS in hemodialysis patients. The CRP/albumin ratio can serve as a valuable indicator of malnutrition in this population, providing a reliable tool for assessing nutritional status.