Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Fuchs’ Uveitis Syndrome: Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with Fuchs' uveitis syndrome (FUS). STUDY DESIGN A case-control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Ophthalmology, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Turkey, between July 2016 and June 2019. METHODOLOGY Twenty-eight patients with unilateral FUS and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. The NLR and PLR were calculated from complete blood counts tests; and compared between the groups. RESULTS There were 28 patients (14 females, 14 males; median age: 33.5 (30-47.5) in the FUS group; and 30 patients (16 females, 14 males; median age 37.5 (33-41.8) in the healthy group. The NLR (1.7 v.s 1.2, p = 0.036 was found to be significantly higher and PLR was lower (100.27 ±37.13 v.s. 141.68 ±26.50 p <0.001) in the FUS group compared with the healthy controls. The median WBC (p <0.001), neutrophil (p <0.001), lymphocytes (p <0.001), and monocyte (p=0.041) values were found significantly higher in the FUS group compared with controls. The significant correlations were not seen between the number of anterior chamber cells; which are ocular inflammatory parameter and NLRs (r = 0.312, p = 0.106) and PLRs (r = 0.148, p = 0.453). CONCLUSION The current study suggests that a slowly progressive immune-mediated process can affect peripheral blood inflammatory biomarkers and there is evidence of benign subclinical systemic inflammation in patients with FUS. Key Words: Fuchs uveitis syndrome, Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, Platelet to lymphocyte ratio.