Limei Chen and Juping Liu*
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of blindness in diabetic populations, necessitates early detection strategies beyond conventional fundus photography. This review synthesizes evidence on hematological inflammatory indices as potential biomarkers for DR screening. The Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) emerges as the most consistent independent risk factor, with composite indices like SII and SIRI showing diagnostic value. Pathophysiologically, these indices reflect systemic inflammation driven by neutrophil-mediated vascular damage, monocyte-induced insulin resistance, and plateletleukocyte interactions. While NLR correlates strongly with proliferative DR, PLR/SII demonstrate utility in non-proliferative stages. Current limitations include lack of standardized cut-offs and susceptibility to transient confounders. Future research should prioritize multicenter validation and integration with glycemic/ hemodynamic parameters to enhance predictive models.
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Journal of Blood & Lymph received 443 citations as per Google Scholar report
