Neutrophil‐to‐Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Anxiety Progression in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND: Anxiety progression in Parkinson's disease (PD) and its link to peripheral inflammation remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether lymphocyte-related inflammatory markers can predict the longitudinal progression of anxiety symptoms in patients with PD. METHODS: This study utilized a large public database to evaluate 13 inflammatory markers associated with lymphocytes. Linear regression and mixed-effects models were employed to assess associations between the inflammatory indicators and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: Elevated baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) were associated with higher levels of both state and trait anxiety (P < 0.05). An increase in the NLR is indicative of the deterioration of trait anxiety (estimate = 0.455, P = 0.030), especially in late-onset PD (LOPD) patients and males. CONCLUSIONS: The NLR is a potential biomarker for the progression of anxiety in PD patients, indicating that neuroinflammation is related to anxiety.