Are neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratios related with formation of sudden hearing loss and its prognosis?

OBJECTIVES

The aim of our study was to see whether the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are the markers of idiopathic sudden hearing loss to be used in prognosis or not.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is a retrospective, case-control clinical trial. Forty-five patients diagnosed with idiopathic sudden hearing loss and treated with the same treatment protocol between March 2014 and December 2015 and 47 healthy volunteers coming to the hospital for a routine health check and accepting audiological and laboratory tests were included in our study. NLR and PLR values were calculated in consequence of complete blood count results obtained from the study and control groups. In addition, the study group was classified as treatment responsive and treatment unresponsive groups as a result of audiological examination performed after three months according to the Siegel criteria. NLR and PLR ratios between the groups were statistically evaluated.

RESULTS

Average NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Average NLR ratio of the group, which was treated with the same protocol but did not respond to treatment was found to be significantly higher compared to the group which responded to the treatment (P<0.001). There was no significant change in average PLR ratio.

CONCLUSION

Although NLR and PLR are two important markers that can be detected from peripheral blood samples of patients developing idiopathic sudden hearing loss and can be calculated easily, increased NLR values were also found to be related to poor prognosis.