Assessment of the aggregate index of systemic inflammation in dyslipidemia with dry eye disease: a retrospective case-control

Background Dyslipidemia (DLP) is characterized by high rates of occurrence of inflammation. One outcome of DLP development is dry eye disease (DED). The level of inflammation was assessed by identifying clinically relevant parameters in the complete blood count (CBC). In this study, the aim was to evaluate inflammation in DLP-DED patients using the aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI) and inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods A total of 214 patients who had been clinically diagnosed with DLP at King Abdulaziz Medical City between 2016 and 2023 were randomly selected for retrospective analysis. The patients were allocated to one of two groups: DLP only as the control group and DLP with DED as the study group. Blood biomarker tests and demographic data were gathered and analyzed. The means, standard deviations, and medians of the blood results were calculated. Associations with lipid profile and inflammatory indicators were evaluated by Spearman’s correlation analysis. Moreover, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent association between AISI and DED, controlling for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Results The DLP-DED group demonstrated higher neutrophil and monocyte counts relative to the DLP group. In the DLP-DED group, AISI showed a positive correlation with CRP and a weak negative correlation with HDL and total cholesterol. Conclusions AISI may indicate components of systemic inflammation in patients with dyslipidemia; however, it was not associated with dry eye disease following adjustment for confounding variables. Additional evaluation of its clinical value requires prospective research. Impact statement Investigating inflammatory biomarkers in patients with dyslipidemia and dry eye disease may improve understanding of the pathogenesis and pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches to alleviate this debilitating condition.