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Objective: To evaluate monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with keratoconus (KC).Methods: Thirty-one patients with KC (group 1) and 31 healthy control subjects (group 2) were included in the study. All participants' ocular examination findings, clinical and laboratory parameters were obtained from file records and laboratory archives.Results: When group 1 was compared with group 2, MHR (13.7 ± 5.0 vs. 9.1 ± 3.7; p < .001) and NLR (2.3 ± 0.8 vs. 1.7 ± 0.6; p < .001) were statistically significantly higher in group 1. Optimal MHR cutoff value for KC was calculated as 10.2 with 77.4% sensitivity and 64.5% specificity, and optimal NLR cut-off value for KC was found as 1.9 with 71.4% sensitivity and 55% specificity.Conclusion: MHR and NLR values recognized as indicators of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation were significantly higher in patients with KC compared to the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to evaluate monocyte count and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and their ratio (monocyte/HDL ratio [MHR]) in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).Materials and Methods: A total of 50 participants were included in the study. Participants were divided into two groups: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with BRVO and 25 participants as the control group. Ocular examination findings and hematologic parameters were accessed from the file records and database, retrospectively.Results: The mean MHR was significantly higher in BRVO group compared to the control group (13.4 ± 5.2 vs. 8.1 ± 2.2, p < 0.001). In receiver operating characteristics analysis, the area under the curve for MHR was 0.862, and an MHR of >9.5 predicted BRVO with a sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 70.8%.Conclusion: The present study showed that elevated MHR is significantly associated with BRVO. Therefore, MHR may be a useful marker for the emergence of BRVO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and primary causes of blindness in adults aged 18 years and more in Sarıkaya rural region of Yozgat, Turkey to contribute to the epidemiologic information about blindness in our country. Materials and Methods: Patients who were examined between October 2016 and March 2017 in Sarıkaya State Hospital, Clinic of Ophthalmology were prospectively investigated. Demographic and ophthalmic examination data, presented visual acuities (VA), primary causes of blindness, and monocular blindness were recorded. Blindness was defined as presented visual acuities (VA) definition of World Health Organization criteria. Results: A total of 3423 participants, aged 18-96 years, were examined. Among them, 1887 participants (55%) were female and 1536 (45%) were male. The frequency of blindness was 1.5% (95% CI: 1.1%-2.0%); and cataract was the primary cause of blindness (42%). Age-related macular degeneration (21%) and uncorrected refractive error (13%) were the next main causes of blindness. The frequency of monocular blindness was 4% (95% CI: 3.8%-5.2%), and cataract (27%) followed by phthisis bulbi/evisceration (13%) and glaucoma (12%) were the leading causes of monocular blindness. Conclusion: In this rural region of Central Anatolia, the primary cause of blindness and monocular blindness was an unoperated cataract. The patterns of age-specific causes of blindness are variable, but most of them are avoidable or treatable. Thus, awareness should be increased in societies, and people should be prevented from blindness with health-care programs in rural regions of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]