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Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in retinal artery occlusion: a meta-analysis

  • Retinal Disorders
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine the association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with Retinal Artery Occlusion (RAO). The analysis aims to provide insight into the potential of NLR and PLR as inflammatory biomarkers for RAO.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified eight eligible studies. The analysis assessed serum NLR and PLR levels in RAO and non-RAO groups by employing standardized mean differences (SMDs). Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined. The diagnostic performance of these markers was evaluated with a quantitative synthesis.

Results

The meta-analysis, involving 1,444 participants, demonstrated significantly elevated NLR (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.49–1.28, P < 0.001) and PLR (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.73, P < 0.001) levels in individuals with RAO. Significant heterogeneity was noted. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness and no significant publication bias was found. Summary results of diagnostic performance revealed promising discriminatory power for NLR and PLR.

Conclusions

The results support a possible connection between systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR and PLR, and the occurrence of RAO. Although there was heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. While immediate diagnostic applications are limited, understanding the role of NLR and PLR in the pathological process of RAO provides valuable insights for developing future predictive models, risk management approaches, and treatment strategies. Further research exploring mechanistic insights and conducting prospective studies is warranted to validate their clinical utility.

Key messages

What is known

  • Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.

  • Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.

What is new

  • This is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.

  • Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.

  • NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.

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Data availability

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.

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Funding

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Practice, Department of Medical Education, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan

    Shu-Han Chuang

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan

    Cheng-Hsien Chang

  3. Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Cheng-Hsien Chang

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Contributions

Shu-Han Chuang: Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation.

Cheng-Hsien Chang: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Project Administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Writing – Review & Editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheng-Hsien Chang.

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Ethical approval

The study received ethical approval from our institutional review board (IRB number: 240118).

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The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

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Shu-Han Chuang contributed as the first author.

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Chuang, SH., Chang, CH. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in retinal artery occlusion: a meta-analysis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-024-06594-8

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