title: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss: is there a relationship between routine haematological parameters and audiogram shapes?
abstract: To investigate the relationship between haematological routine parameters and audiogram shapes in patients affected by sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).
  
  
  
  A retrospective study. All patients were divided into four groups according to the audiometric curve and mean values of haematological parameters (haemoglobin, white blood cell, neutrophils and lymphocytes relative count, platelet count, haematocrit, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen and neutrophil-to-lymphocite ratio) of each group were statistically compared. The prognostic role of blood profile and coagulation test was also examined.
  
  
  
  A cohort of 183 SSNHL patients without comorbidities.
  
  
  
  With a 48.78% of complete hearing recovery, individuals affected by upsloping hearing loss presented a better prognosis instead of flat (18.36%), downsloping (19.23%) and anacusis (2.45%) groups (p = 0.0001). The multivariate analysis of complete blood count values revealed lower mean percentage of lymphocytes (p = 0.041) and higher platelet levels (p = 0.015) in case of downsloping hearing loss; with the exception of fibrinogen (p = 0.041), none of the main haematological parameters studied resulted associated with poorer prognosis.
  
  
  
  Our work suggested a lack of association between haematological parameters and a defined audiometric picture in SSNHL patients; furthermore, only fibrinogen seems to influence the prognosis of this disease.
authors.affiliation: a BioNeC Department , Universitù degli Studi di Palermo, ENT Section , Via del Vespro , Palermo , Italy and.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salvago
authors.affiliation: a BioNeC Department , Universitù degli Studi di Palermo, ENT Section , Via del Vespro , Palermo , Italy and.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: b Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit , Università degli Studi di Palermo , Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6 , Palermo , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.affiliation: a BioNeC Department , Universitù degli Studi di Palermo, ENT Section , Via del Vespro , Palermo , Italy and.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martines
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001792:Blood Platelets; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006309:Hearing / Q000187:drug effects; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins; D013256:Steroids; D005340:Fibrinogen
keywords: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss; audiogram shape; haematological parameters