ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in a Chinese Cohort: A Retrospective Analysis of 197 Cases
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Dermatology, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Background: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), particularly indicators of disease severity, remain inadequately explored in Asian populations. Objectives: To characterize the clinical and laboratory features of HS in Chinese patients and to identify risk factors for disease severity. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 197 patients with HS in China. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Disease severity was graded using the Hurley staging system. Comprehensive statistical analyses were conducted. Results: Among 197 patients, 87.8% were male (male-to-female ratio 7.2:1). Females had a shorter diagnostic delay than males (p = 0.011). Obesity was present in 33.0% of HS patients. Metabolic abnormalities included reduced HDL-c (30.0%), elevated blood glucose (29.1%), increased TG (14.9%), TC (10.3%), and LDL-c (9.0%). Neutrophil-related indices (WBC, ANC, NEUT%) and liver function markers (TP, albumin, ALT, AST, TB) were significantly associated with progression to Hurley stage III. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, TP remained an independent risk factor for progression to Hurley stage III (OR, 1.240; 95%CI, 1.101-1.397; q=0.010). ROC analysis showed modest discrimination for these indicators (AUCs, 0.604 to 0.652). By contrast, a multivariable logistic regression model that integrated significant predictors achieved an AUC of 0.689. This indicated moderate discrimination for advanced disease severity. Conclusion: Chinese patients with HS exhibited a pronounced male predominance and relatively mild metabolic abnormalities. Neutrophil-related indices and TP, especially when interpreted together with albumin, were associated with progression to Hurley stage III.
Keywords: acne inversa, clinical, Disease Severity, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, laboratory
Received: 14 Oct 2025; Accepted: 12 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ye, Zhang, Tang, Yang, Li, Yan and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Baoxi Wang
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