Can the Second to Fourth Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Be a Marker to Determine Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity?
February 2019
in “
Disease Markers
”
TLDR The index to ring finger ratio may indicate disease severity in female ankylosing spondylitis patients, but not in males.
The study examined if the ratio of the index finger to the ring finger (2D:4D) could serve as an indicator of disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Including 167 patients (43 female, 124 male), the research found significant negative correlations between the 2D:4D ratio and both the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) in female patients. This suggests that a lower 2D:4D ratio in females is associated with higher disease activity and poorer functional status. Additionally, a lower 2D:4D ratio in females was linked to reduced spinal mobility. However, no significant correlation was found in male patients, possibly due to their higher use of biologic drugs. The study concluded that the 2D:4D ratio might be a marker of disease activity and functional status in female AS patients but not in males.
