Mean platelet volume as a diagnostic marker for cardiovascular disease: drawbacks of preanalytical conditions and measuring techniques

A decreased mean platelet volume is associated with stable and exacerbated asthma

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammation is related to disease progression in asthma. Activated platelets play a critical role in atherogenesis, inflammation, and atherothrombosis. The mean platelet volume (MPV) is an early marker of platelet activation.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to clarify the relevance of MPV levels in patients with stable and exacerbated asthma.

METHODS

We investigated the peripheral blood cell count parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP), lung function parameters, and arterial blood gas in patients with asthma and control subjects. Eighty-five stable asthma patients and 85 asthmatics with exacerbations were investigated. Eighty-five controls matched for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status were recruited.

RESULTS

Patients with exacerbated asthma had lower MPV and higher CRP levels and white blood cell (WBC) counts compared to patients with stable asthma and control subjects. Furthermore, the MPV was reduced in patients with stable asthma compared to control subjects. Negative correlations between MPV and CRP were present in stable and exacerbated asthma. Although there was no relationship between MPV and WBC count in stable asthma, there was an inverse relationship between MPV and WBC count in exacerbated asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that patients with stable asthma had a lower MPV compared to controls and the MPV levels in asthmatic patients with exacerbations were lower compared to those in patients with stable asthma. Further investigations regarding the role of MPV in asthma may be beneficial in the search for therapeutic targets.

Correlation of the coronary severity scores and mean platelet volume in diabetes mellitus

INTRODUCTION

It is known that mean platelet volume (MPV) increases during acute coronary syndrome. However, there are conflicting data about the importance of MPV in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to assess relationship between MVP and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), stable CAD and normal left ventricular ejection fractions.

METHODS

Thirty-three DM and 46 nonDM patients with stable CAD diagnosed by selective coronary angiography were included in the study. All angiographic variables pertinent to Gensini score (GS) and Syntax score (SS) calculation were computed by two experienced interventional cardiologists. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination. MPV and other biochemical markers were measured on admission.

RESULTS

All patients were evaluated and it was found that both scoring systems are correlated with MPV (GS: r = 0.373, p < 0.001; SS: r = 0.385, p < 0.001). DM and nonDM groups were severally evaluated, it was found that the correlation between MPV and GS and SS increased in DM patients (GS: r = 0.638, p < 0.001; SS: r = 0.624, p < 0.001); however, no differences were identified in nonDM patients (GS: r = 0.124, p = 0.410; SS: r = 0.124, p = 0.411).

CONCLUSION

It is thought that high MPV levels may be an effective marker in determining the severity of CAD in patients with DM. And the high MPV level may be related with CAD pathophysiology in DM patients.

Altered platelet indices as potential markers of severe and complicated malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Background

This study described altered platelet indices in patients with acute malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax and determined whether these alterations are associated with warning signs of severe and complicated malaria.

Methods

A total of 186 patients attending the Malaria Clinic at the University Hospital from the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil, between 2008 and 2013 were included in this study. After parasitological confirmation of exclusive infection by P. vivax, blood cell counts and platelet indices were determined. Disease gravity was evaluated on the basis of classic signs of Plasmodium falciparum severe malaria, including severe anemia, or by changes in serum levels of glucose, bilirubin, aminotransferases and creatinine at the time of the patient’s admission. Patients with a longer duration of symptoms or those identified as primo infected were considered potential candidates for evolution into the severe form of malaria.

Results

The mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) values exhibited significant variability. A significant inverse relationship was observed between parasitaemia and PCT. Patients with warning signs for evolution into severe disease, with primo infection, or presenting with symptoms for over three days had the highest MPV and PDW. The adjusted analyses showed the presence of warning signs for the development of severe and complicated malaria remained independently linked to elevated MPV and PDW.

Conclusion

Altered platelet indices should be analysed as potential markers for the severity of malaria caused by P. vivax. Future studies with appropriate methodology for prognostic evaluation could confirm the potential use of these indices in clinical practice.

Mean Platelet Volume Associated With Aortic Distensibility, Chronic Inflammation, and Diabetes in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease

We aimed to assess the effective factors on high mean platelet volume (MPV) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 411 patients (247 males and 164 females; mean age: 61.7 ± 9.9 years) with angiographically proven CAD were included. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the median MPV value (MPVlow group <9.5 fL and MPVhigh group ≥9.5 fL). The SYNTAX score, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and frequencies of diabetes and hypertension were higher in MPVhigh group compared to MPVlow group. Aortic distensibility (AD) and platelet count of patients in MPVhigh group were lower than patients in MPVlow group ( P < .05, for all). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that MPV was independently related with diabetes (β = 0.135, P = .007), hsCRP (β = 0.259, P < .001), platelet count (β = −0.144, P < .001), and AD (β = −0.425, P < .001). High MPV value is independently related to AD, as well as diabetes, hsCRP, and platelet count in patients with stable CAD.