The Relationship Between Tinnitus and Hematological Parameters: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Hematology
• Pathophysiology

Background:

• Tinnitus, the perception of sound without external stimuli, has complex causes including metabolic and vascular factors.
• Microvascular dysfunction is a potential contributor to tinnitus development.
• Hematological parameters like mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are being explored for their association with tinnitus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific hematological parameters (MPV, NLR, PLR) and tinnitus.
• To compare these hematological markers in patients with tinnitus versus healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study involving 100 tinnitus patients and 100 matched healthy controls.
• Exclusion criteria included hearing loss, ear abnormalities, and systemic diseases.
• Hematological values (hemoglobin, neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts, MPV, NLR, PLR) were recorded and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Tinnitus patients exhibited significantly higher neutrophil and lymphocyte counts compared to controls.
• Conversely, the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were significantly lower in the tinnitus group (p < 0.05).
• The tinnitus group was also older on average and had a higher proportion of female participants.

Conclusions:

• Elevated neutrophil and lymphocyte levels in tinnitus patients may indicate inflammatory or vascular involvement.
• The observed lower NLR and PLR complicate this interpretation, suggesting multifaceted pathophysiological mechanisms in tinnitus.
• Hematological markers like NLR and PLR warrant further research to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology of tinnitus.