The Roles Played by Blood Inflammatory Parameters in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

OBJECTIVE

The etiology of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) remains unknown; inflammation may be one cause. We retrospectively studied SSHNL cases in terms of the inflammatory parameters involved.

METHODS

We reviewed 169 SSNHL cases. The control group contained 132 patients with vocal cord polyps. The C-reactive protein (CRP) level, CRP/serum albumin (Alb) ratio, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were compared between the 2 groups. The relationships between these parameters and the time to treatment after SSHNL onset, hearing level, and therapeutic effects were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The CRP level, CRP/Alb ratio, and NLR were higher in SSNHL patients than in controls, but only the NLR differed significantly between the 2 groups. We found no significant differences between patients with different hearing levels, those evaluated at various times after SSNHL onset, and those with different outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The NLR is a reliable SSNHL diagnostic marker. The CRP level and CRP/Alb ratio are not useful indicators.

Value of serum platelet/albumin and C-reactive protein/albumin ratios in evaluating mucosal healing and disease recurrence in patients with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

At present, the most studied inflammatory markers of Crohn's disease (CD) are C-reactive protein, but CD cannot be predicted by a single index. In recent years, studies have found that the combined application of serum markers can be more accurate for prediction, and platelet/serum albumin (PLT/ALB) and C-reactive protein/serum albumin (CRP/ALB) ratios have high specificity in evaluating inflammatory activity.

AIM

To explore the value of serological platelet/albumin and C-reactive protein/albumin ratios in evaluating mucosal healing and disease recurrence in patients with CD.

METHODS

Eighty-five patients with CD treated at Xinzhou District People's Hospital from April 2019 to April 2021 were selected. According to the clinical and endoscopic healing criteria, the patients were divided into either a mucosal healing group or a mucosal non-healing group. The general data, serum ALB, PLT, and CRP levels, and PLT/ALB and CRP/ALB ratios were recorded before and after treatment. The correlation between serum indexes and SES-CD score was analyzed to evaluate their value in assessing mucosal healing. The patients were divided into a recurrent group and a non-recurrent group according to whether they relapsed. The value of serum indexes in predicting disease recurrence was assessed.

RESULTS

After 6 mo of treatment, the level of ALB in the mucosal healing group (n = 44) was significantly higher than that in the mucosal non-healing group (n = 41), while the levels of PLT, CRP, PLT/ALB ratio, and CRP/ALB ratio significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Serum ALB, PLT, CRP, PLT/ALB ratio, and CRP/ALB ratio were significantly correlated with SES-CD score. The AUC values of ALB, PLT, CRP, CRP/ALB ratio, and PLT/ALB ratio in assessing mucosal healing were 0.712, 0.662, 0.774, 0.776, and 0.719, respectively (all AUC values > 0.5). After treatment, ALB in the recurrent group was significantly lower than that in the non-recurrent group, while the levels of PLT, CRP, PLT/ALB ratio, and CRP/ALB ratio were significantly higher in the recurrent group (P < 0.05). The AUC values of ALB, PLT, CRP, CRP/ALB ratio, and PLT/ALB ratio for predicting disease recurrence were 0.641, 0.628, 0.643, 0.652, and 0.651, respectively (all AUC values > 0.5).

CONCLUSION

PLT/ALB and CRP/ALB ratios have high clinical value in evaluating mucosal healing and disease recurrence in patients with CD.