Associations between Blood Cell Profiles and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Immunology
• Hematology

Background:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
• Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
• Immune cell ratios in blood counts are emerging as potential biomarkers for various inflammatory conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between key immune cell ratios, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and the presence of POAG.
• To determine if these inflammatory markers can predict POAG and correlate with disease severity.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study involving 240 POAG patients and 300 healthy controls.
• Comprehensive ophthalmological examinations and complete blood count measurements were conducted.
• Statistical analyses, including receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and multivariable logistic regression, were performed.

Main Results:

• NLR, PLR, and SII were significantly elevated in POAG patients compared to controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.012, p < 0.001, respectively).
• LMR was significantly lower in the POAG group (p < 0.001).
• NLR and SII levels increased with POAG severity and were identified as independent predictors of POAG (OR 1.502, p < 0.001 for NLR; OR 1.02, p < 0.001 for SII).
• The area under the ROC curve for SII was 0.986, indicating high predictive accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Elevated NLR and SII are significantly associated with POAG.
• These readily available inflammatory indices show promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for POAG.
• Further research is warranted to explore the clinical utility of NLR and SII in glaucoma management.