The Relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Neutrophil–Lymphocyte and Platelet–Lymphocyte Ratios

INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a condition characterized by hypoxemia or arousal associated with apnea or hypopnea due to partial or complete collapse of the upper airway. This study aimed to assess the correlation between the diagnosis and severity of OSAS and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR).
METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 65 patients who underwent polysomnography at Sultan II. Abdulhamid Han Training and Research Hospital. Patients with simple snoring and controls had an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) of <5, patients with mild OSAS had an AHI of 5–14.9, those with moderate OSAS had an AHI of 15–29.9, and those with severe OSAS had an AHI of ≥30. Lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts were obtained from complete blood count parameters measured before polysomnography. NLR and PLR were calculated accordingly.
RESULTS: A total of 65 patients were included in the study. Eighteen patients (28%) with AHI<5 constituted the control group, and 47 patients (72%) with AHI≥5 constituted the OSAS group. Among the 47 patients with OSAS, 17 (36%) had mild OSAS, 15 (32%) had moderate OSAS, and 15 (32%) had severe OSAS. The mean NLR was 2.39±1.59 in patients with OSAS and 1.96±1.21 in patients without OSAS, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.68). The mean PLR was 141.56±139.97 in patients with OSAS and 98.66±27.91 in patients without OSAS, also showing no statistically significant difference (p=0.95). NLR and PLR did not differ significantly among patients with mild, moderate, and severe OSAS (p=0.185 and p=0.149, respectively).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In this study, NLR and PLR were not associated with either the diagnosis or the severity of OSAS.

Keywords: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, sleep apnea.