Association between inflammatory markers and anemia in patients with diabetic foot ulcer.

Anemia of inflammation (AI) is common among patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). This study aimed to investigate the specific relationship between inflammation indicators and anemia in patients with DFU. This cross-sectional study was carried out among patients with DFU between 2018 and 2023. Clinical data were gathered before treatment. Restricted cubic spline regression was employed to investigate the non-linear associations between inflammation and anemia. A total of 395 patients with Wagner grades 2-4 were enrolled in the study. About 63.54% of the patients with DFU had anemia which was primarily presented with normocytic hypopigmentation anemia. Elevated IL-6 levels (39.10-369 pg/ml) were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of anemia (OR = 4.84; 95% CI: 1.97-11.90). Similarly, high CRP levels (48.56-385 mg/l) were linked to a higher prevalence of anemia (OR = 5.01; 95% CI: 2.35-10.68). Furthermore, a nonlinear relationship was observed between CRP levels and anemia, suggesting that CRP values exceeding 53.889 mg/l may trigger anemia in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Inflammation is identified as an independent risk factor for AI in patients with DFU. The inflammation indicators (CRP and IL-6) and anemia exhibit an L-shaped nonlinear correlation in patients with DFU.