Relationship Between Peripheral Blood Eosinophil Count and the Severity and Prognosis of Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy : A New Potentially Useful Predictor?

Objective To investigate the effect of peripheral blood eosinophil count on the severity and prognosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy（DMD). Method The clinical data of 145 patients with DMD and 150 normal healthy children in the same period were collected retrospectively. The results of the two groups were analysed and compared. Logistic regression and Cox regression analysis were used to explore the influence of eosinophils on DMD. The relationship between eosinophils and the long-term efficacy and prognosis of DMD were followed up. Result Compared with the control group, the eosinophil count of children in DMD group was slightly lower(Z=2.163,p=0.031).Eosino-phil count at visit and follow-up was slightly negatively correlated with muscle strength score to visit and follow-up, and the correlati-on coefficients were as follows: ρ=-0.245，p=0.040，ρ=-0.137，p=0.032.Eosinophils were the protective factor for high muscle strength score of visit,OR=0.007,95%CI(0.001-0.276)，p=0.008,OR=0.038,95%CI(0.002-0.752), p=0.032 after adjusting for age and other factors. Eosinophils were also the protective factor for elevated muscle stre-ngth score at follow-up visit,(OR=0.012,95%CI0.001-0.645,p=0.029), after adjusting for age and other factors (OR=0.033,95%CI0.001-0.121,p=0.039). Univariate analysis found that eosinophils affected the curative effect during follow-up visit, HR=2.739,95%CI(1.294-5.979)p=0.008. Further adjustment for age and other factors multivariate Cox regression analysis found that eosinophils affected the curative effect (HR=1.127,95% CI 1.109-1.246,p=0.020). Conclusion The eosinophil count in peripheral blood was related to the severity of DMD, and can predict the curative effect and prognosis to a certain extent. Eosinophil count may be a potentially useful predictor.