Relationship Between Erectile Dysfunction, the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and the Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio

Objective: Various chronic diseases, including hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM), and coronary artery disease (CAD), together with the medications used in the treatment of these conditions, are considered a part of the erectile dysfunction (ED) etiology. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) provide information about many diseases. The NLR and PLR increase in systemic inflammation, certain gynecological and gastrointestinal cancers, CAD, various oncological diseases, and especially in acute coronary syndromes. In this study, the relationship between PLR, NLR, and ED severity were examined in patients with ED. Methods: All data from patients were screened retrospectively. Body mass index, the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores, age, fasting blood glucose, whole blood count, lipid, and hormone profile values were measured. The PLR and NLR values from both the patient and control groups were evaluated. The IIEF-5 questionnaire was used to measure the quality of erection in all the groups. A total of 131 patients with ED were divided into four groups: severe (34 patients), moderate (32 patients), mild-to-moderate (36 patients), and mild ED (29 patients). In addition, a control group was formed with 26 healthy men. Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of the mean age, hypertension, smoking status, alcohol use, DM, CAD, and cholesterol and triglycerides levels. The mean PLR values were 125.3 +/- 41.4, 120.6 +/- 36.1, 118.2 +/- 50.4, 104.9 +/- 3.2, and 107.5 +/- 37.4 in the severe, moderate, mild-to-moderate, mild ED, and control groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in the PLR ratio among the ED groups and controls (p>0.05). The mean NLR values were 2.40 +/- 1.22, 2.34 +/- 0.88, 2.26 +/- 1.22, 2.1 +/- 0.87, and 1.76 +/- 0.7 in the severe, moderate, mild-to-moderate, mild ED, and control groups, respectively. Compared with the control group, this value was statistically significant for patients with all ED groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The NLR value was found to be higher in patients with ED. The NLR value may be related to ED, and it can give valuable information in patients with ED.