An Evaluation of Thrombocyte Functions in Patients with Idiopathic Subjective Tinnitus

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the thrombocyte agggregation levels which are triggered by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen in patients with idiopathic subjective tinnitus.
 Material and Methods: The study included 33 patients who presented at the clinic with complaints of idiopathic subjective tinnitus that had been ongoing for at least 1 year and a control group of 33 subjects with no complaints of tinnitus. The Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI) was completed by all the patients to
 measure tinnitus severity. Thrombocyte count, prothrombin time (PT), and partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were examined in blood samples taken from the patients. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) collagenase and epinephrine collagenase were measured in the blood.
 Results: According to the THI, 4 (12.1%) patients were grade 1, 8 (24.2%) patients were grade 2, 10 (30.3%) patients were grade 3, 7 (21.2%) were grade 4 and 4 (12.1%) patients were grade 5. Mean aggregation triggered by ADP was determined as 83.85±16.80%in the tinnitus patients and 91.88±20.67% in the
 control group, with no statistically significant difference determined (p>0.05). The mean thrombocyte aggregation triggered by collagen was determined as 119.24±24.76% in the tinnitus patients and 130.79±38.73% in the control group, with no statistically significant difference determined (p>0.05).
 Conclusion: The thrombocyte functions were evaluated as normal in patients with idiopathic subjective tinnitus. However, as the measured values were lower than those of the control group, there was determined to be a tendency for thrombocyte aggregation.