Investigation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume in sudden hearing loss

IntroductionSeveral theories attempt to explain the pathophysiology of sudden hearing loss.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the possible role of inflammation and atherothrombosis in sudden hearing loss patients through the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume.MethodsStudy design – retrospective cross-sectional historical cohort. This study was conducted on two groups: one with 59 individuals diagnosed with sudden hearing loss, and other with 59 healthy individuals with the same characteristics of gender and age distribution, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume levels were measured in patients diagnosed with sudden hearing loss as well as in the control group, and it was verified whether these results interfered for a better or worse prognosis with treatment of sudden deafness.ResultsNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels are much higher in patients diagnosed with sudden hearing loss compared to the control group. Similarly, mean levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are higher in non-recovered versus recovered patients (p = 0.001). However, we could not find a correlation with mean platelet volume levels (p > 0.05).ConclusionNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a quick and reliable indicator regarding diagnosis and prognosis of sudden hearing loss; on the other hand, mean platelet volume may be considered a less important indicator in this aspect.     

外周血中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值以及血小板与淋巴细胞比值评估声门型喉癌患者预后的价值

目的 探讨外周血中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值（NLR）和血小板与淋巴细胞比值（PLR）与声门型喉鳞状细胞癌患者预后的关系。方法 收集115例有明确病理诊断的声门型喉鳞状细胞癌患者的临床病理及随访资料,通过建立受试者工作特征曲线（ROC曲线）,确定术前外周血NLR及PLR预测术后生存的最佳截点,以此将患者分为低NLR和高NLR组以及低PLR和高PLR组,分析NLR及PLR与患者的临床病理特征之间的关系,并通过单因素及多因素分析评估术前外周血NLR及PLR对患者术后生存的影响。结果 115例患者中获得随访107例,失访8例,随访率为93.0%。随访患者中27例死于喉鳞状细胞癌,80例生存。根据ROC曲线计算出PLR、NLR的临界值分别为139.79和2.83。107例声门型喉鳞状细胞癌患者的5年生存率为74.8%,其中低PLR组患者的5年生存率为82.7%;高PLR组患者的5年生存率为56.3%,差异具有统计学意义（P=0.004）。低NLR组患者的5年生存率为81.8%;高NLR组患者的5年生存率为56.7%,差异具有统计学意义（P=0.003）。单因素分析显示,声门型喉鳞状细胞癌患者的预后与患者的T分期、有无淋巴结转移、NLR水平和PLR水平有关（P均<0.05）。多因素分析显示,PLR水平以及NLR水平为影响声门型喉鳞状细胞癌患者预后的独立因素（P均<0.05）。结论 PLR和NLR可能是影响声门型喉鳞状细胞癌患者预后的独立因素。     

Mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with tinnitus: a case-control study

IntroductionDifferent theories have been proposed on the etiology of tinnitus, including metabolic and audiologic causes. We suggest that mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio levels change in tinnitus, indicating microcirculatory disturbance and inflammatory process in the etiopathogenesis of tinnitus.ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate the mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with tinnitus in comparison to healthy controls.MethodsRetrospective case-control study. Two-hundred and eighty-seven patients aged 18–59 years and diagnosed with tinnitus in the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic between December 2014 and May 2017 (patient group) and 275 healthy individuals who applied for a hearing screening within the same time period (control group). Demographics, concomitant diseases, laboratory results, and audiometric data were recorded. Mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio were the outcome measures. Patients with hearing loss due to presbycusis or another reasons, and patients with anatomical disorders in the external and middle ear were excluded from the study by using physical examinations, pure audio audiometry results and radiological imaging. The upper age limit was set at 59 to exclude presbycusis patients.ResultsThe ratio of female patients was higher in patient group than control group (58.5%, n = 168 vs. 49.4%, n = 127; respectively; p = 0.033). The mean age of patient group was significantly higher than those of control group (44.89 ± 10.96 years and 38.37 ± 10.65 years, respectively; p = 0.001). The percentage of subjects with high mean platelet volume level was significantly higher in patient group than control group (9.4%, n = 27, and 3.1%, n = 8 respectively; p = 0.008). The mean neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was higher in patients with tinnitus than control group (1.95 ± 1.02 and 1.67 ± 0.57, p = 0.012). A neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio level of 2.17 and above is associated with 1.991 times higher risk of tinnitus (odds ratio = 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.31–3.02).ConclusionHigh mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio values are associated with idiopathic tinnitus, suggesting the role of vascular pathologies in etiology of tinnitus. Tinnitus may be a sign of underlying systemic or local disorders. Therefore, patients with tinnitus should undergo detailed evaluation including hematological indices.     

ABR thresholds to tonebursts gated with Blackman and linear windows in adults with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine whether tonebursts gated on and off using a nonlinear, exact-Blackman-gating function would be a more frequency-specific stimulus for auditory brain stem response audiometry than the more traditional 2-1-2 cycle linearly gated toneburst. DESIGN: Toneburst ABRs were recorded in 10 adults with normal hearing and in 18 adults with sloping high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. It was hypothesized that any advantage of the Blackman stimuli for frequency-specific threshold assessment should be evident in hearing-impaired subjects with hearing loss confined to the 2000 to 4000 Hz frequency region since spectral splatter in the toneburst stimuli could lead to an underestimation of hearing loss based on the ABR thresholds. ABR stimuli consisted of 2000- and 4000-Hz 2-1-2 (rise-plateau-fall) cycle linearly gated tonebursts and 1-0-1 msec exact-Blackman-gated tonebursts. An additional 0.5-0-0.5 msec 4000-Hz Blackman-gated toneburst was used to investigate whether the difference in rise/fall characteristics of the linearly and Blackman-gated tonebursts could account for any differences in ABR results at 4000 Hz. The ABR toneburst stimuli were calibrated behaviorally in 15 adults with normal hearing. RESULTS: In the normal-hearing listeners toneburst-ABR thresholds generally exceeded behavioral thresholds by 10 to 13 dB for all stimuli. Correlations of 0.85 to 0.96 were obtained between 2000 and 4000 Hz toneburst ABR thresholds and pure-tone audiometric thresholds in the hearing-impaired listeners. Results were similar for Blackman- and linearly gated stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: There were no clear differences between Blackman- and linearly gated tonebursts in terms of how well ABR thresholds predicted pure-tone thresholds at 2000 and 4000 Hz. In general audiometric thresholds were predicted with good accuracy (+/-15 dB) by the toneburst ABR thresholds. The 4000-Hz audiometric threshold was underestimated in one subject with a very steeply sloping hearing loss by both Blackman- and linearly gated toneburst ABR thresholds, indicating that ipsilateral masking such as notched noise would be needed to ensure frequency specificity in this and similar cases.     

Low- and high-frequency hearing in patients with Menière's disease

Summary We determined the pure-tone hearing thresholds of 25 patients with unilateral active Menière's disease using standard clinical audiometry, high-frequency audiometry (10–18 kHz), and low-frequency audiometry (20–80 Hz). In addition to hearing loss at the conventional frequencies, all of the affected ears showed deterioration of the thresholds at both low- and high-frequency areas as compared with the reference ears. The degree of hearing loss at these frequencies correlated to the degree of the hearing loss at the conventional frequencies, where it was greatest at 0.5–1 kHz. Our findings suggest that in Menière's disease the whole cochlear sensory area is affected, and that the damage caused by Menière's disease advances simultaneously in all parts of the cochlea. Offprint requests to: T. Rahko     

Red cell distribution width is associated with hearing impairment in chronic kidney disease population: a retrospective cross-sectional study

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Previous studies have shown that inflammatory markers are associated with hearing impairment in participants with inflammatory diseases. Therefore,...     

A double-blind,randomized controlled trial exploring the efficacy of frequency lowering hearing aids in patients with high-frequency hearing loss

ObjectiveWhether linear frequency transposition (LFT) assists individuals with hearing difficulties has been studied for years, but no reliable comparison between LFT hearing aids (HAs) and conventional compression-type HAs has been conducted. Herein, we report on the first, relevant, double-blind, randomized controlled trial on this topic using a large sample size. We compared the efficacies of LFT HAs to those of compression-type HAs in patients with high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL); we also reviewed the literature.MethodsA total of 103 patients were randomized into three groups: conventional HAs featuring wide dynamic range compression (control group); HAs featuring LFT (LFT group); and HAs employing both LFT and wide dynamic range compression of high frequencies (combined group). Pure tone averages (PTAs), speech recognition thresholds (SRTs), word recognition scores (WRSs), and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) inventories were assessed at the initial visit and after 3 months of HA use. Subject preferences in terms of continued use of their HAs were also evaluated.ResultsThe PTA, SRT, and WRS scores significantly improved in all three groups. No significant among-group differences were evident. The APHAB score significantly improved only in the control group; HA future-use preference was also highest in this group.ConclusionLFT did not provide an additional benefit for subjects with HFHL over conventional amplification and users preferred conventional HAs featuring wide dynamic range compression.     

Correlation analysis of hearing thresholds,validated questionnaires and psychoacoustic measurements in tinnitus patients

One of the most criticized points in tinnitus clinical studies arise from the lack of consensus about measurement methods.AimTo evaluate the correlation between audiometric thresholds, pitch matching (PM), minimum masking level (MML), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in tinnitus patients.Study designProspective, cross-sectional.Materials and methodsSubjects were submitted to tonal audiometry, PM and MML for tinnitus. They also filled out the THI and BDI. Data was statistically compared for correlation purposes between audiometric thresholds, psycho-acoustic measures and questionnaires.ResultsThere was no statistically significant correlation between THI and MML, both in patients with BDI scores under and over 14 points. There was no statistically significant correlation between the worst hearing frequency and PM, as well as between the cut-off frequency and the PM in patients with descending hearing curves in their audiograms.ConclusionsThere is no statistically significant correlation between psycho-acoustic measures (PM and MML), audiometric thresholds, THI and BDI. Tinnitus is a very complex symptom and isolated measures by psycho-acoustic methods; tinnitus and depression questionnaires are not satisfactory.     

ABR in patients with congenital/early acquired sensorineural hearing loss, abnormal stapedius reflex thresholds and speech retardation

The auditory brain stem response (ABR) was recorded in 14 young subjects with mild to moderately severe congenital/early acquired sensorineural hearing loss and abnormal stapedius reflex thresholds. The speech problems of these patients as evaluated by experienced examiners were considered to be more pronounced than could be explained from the hearing loss as measured by the pure tone audiometry. Psychological testing yielded intelligence scores within normal limits or above average for age in 11. They all gave abnormal ABR, indicating dysfunction of the auditory brain stem pathways or, in a few cases, of the cochlear part of the auditory nerve. Presumably, the electrophysiologically demonstrable pathological changes were caused by perinatal complications or early life infectious disease. ABR may prove valuable in the evaluation of children with speech retardation.     

Relationships among speech perception, self-rated tinnitus loudness and disability in tinnitus patients with normal pure-tone thresholds of hearing

Exactly how speech perception and tinnitus perception are related remains unclear. This study investigated how tinnitus alone affects speech perception and the relationship between speech perception, tinnitus loudness, and tinnitus disability. The Mandarin Speech Perception in Noise Test (MSPIN), Tinnitus Loudness Scaling (TLS), and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were utilized to assess 20 tinnitus patients with normal hearing. The tinnitus group had a significantly lower MSPIN score than the control group (p < 0.01). TLS and THI scores were strongly correlated (r(2): 0.534 approximately 0.627, p < 0.05). Correlations between MSPIN and TLS or THI scores were not significant. Tinnitus loudness correlated well with tinnitus-related disability. Neither tinnitus loudness nor disability was strongly correlated with speech perception. In noisy environments, tinnitus sufferers had significantly poorer ability to recognize speech than control subjects.     

Headphone listening habits,hearing thresholds and listening levels in Swedish adolescents with severe to profound HL and adolescents with normal hearing

Abstract

Objective: Research has minimally focussed on the music listening habits and preferred sound volumes among adolescents with severe to profound congenital HL. Listening to music played at loud sound volumes and for a long duration of time could imply risks of worsening the HL. Therefore, it is important to investigate the listening habits in adolescents with HL. The aim of the present study was to describe the use of personal music devices, subjective estimated sound levels, measured sound levels, listening habits, and hearing symptoms in adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss compared with adolescents with normal hearing.

Design: The study was conducted in two steps. First, a questionnaire was given to students with or without hearing loss. In step two, hearing and sound level measurements were made in a subsample from both groups.

Study sample: The study sample were based on 112 seventeen-year-old students with severe to profound hearing loss and 279 adolescents with normal hearing. Hearing thresholds and listening levels was measured on two subsamples based on 29 adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss and 50 adolescents from the group with normal hearing.

Results: The results showed that adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss listened to significantly louder sound levels for longer periods. For both groups, those listening at louder sound levels had poorer hearing thresholds. This finding is especially alarming for subjects with hearing loss. Among those listening above 85?dB per occasion, the sound level ranged between 85.8?dB up to 109?dB for those with hearing loss, whereas the sound level ranged between 85.5?dB and 100?dB for those with normal hearing.

Conclusions: Adolescents with congenital hearing loss used portable music devices in the same manner as adolescents with normal hearing. However, adolescents with hearing loss listened to louder sound volumes most likely to compensate for their hearing loss, which significantly increases the risk of further damage to their hearing. From a hearing rehabilitation perspective it could be concluded that aspect of music listening habits should be focussed in order to prevent noise induced hearing loss among individuals with congenital hearing loss.     

A mean red blood cell volume loss in tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy

OBJECTIVE: To calculate a mean red blood cell volume (RBCV) loss per kilogram (kg) in adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, and adeno-tonsillectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre- and post-operative complete blood cell count, and pre-operative clotting studies of 144 patients were measured. Total blood volume (75 or 70 ml/kg), pre- and post-operative RBCV (hematocritxtotal blood volume), RBCV loss, per kg RBCV loss and per cent RBCV loss were calculated. RESULTS: There was significant differences between pre- and post-operative RBCV, Hb, and Htc values for tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and A&T groups, respectively (p<0.001 for all groups). We found a mean RBCV loss of 33 ml (5.56% of total RBCV) for adenoidectomy, 128 ml (10.63% of RBCV) for tonsillectomy and 60 ml (10.71% of RBCV) for A&T. RBCV loss per kg was 1.57+/-1.29 for adenoidectomy, 2.96+/-1.91 for adeno-tonsillectomy, and 3.02+/-1.66 for tonsillectomy. CONCLUSION: According to us, for management of the patients, knowledge of a mean nature loss of RBCV per kg is important because bleeding seems to be unavoidable in the intra-operative or maybe post-operative period in these operations.