Other inflammatory markers ought to be kept in mind when assessing the mean platelet volume in clinical practice

Mean Platelet Volume Significantly Decreases in the Remission Period of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients with Renal Involvement

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease of the immune system with an unknown etiology. It is a unique disease that has a wide range of clinical and laboratory findings according to the organ or system involved and the activity of the disease. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a simple parameter of the blood and is widely and easily available. It has been evaluated as a sign of inflammation in many kinds of diseases recently. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the laboratory parameters and clinical features of 36 SLE patients with renal involvement and nephrotic-range proteinuria in the active and remission periods of the disease between 2005 and 2013. We found that the mean MPV in the active disease of the period was statistically significantly higher than in the remission period (8.30 ± 1.09 and 7.88 ± 0.7, respectively, P = 0.007).

The prognostic and predictive value of platelet parameters in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BACKGROUND

We aimed to evaluate the association between mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet count (PC) and plateletcrit (PCT), and the presence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and treatment response. In the literature, there is no study that investigates the platelet functions in diabetic patients with SSNHL.

METHODS

The patients were retrospectively assigned into Group 1 (68 diabetic patients with SSNHL), Group 2 (63 nondiabetic patients with SSNHL) and Group 3 (64 healthy controls).

RESULTS

PC was not significantly different between the groups (p > 0.05). MPV, PDW and PCT values were significantly higher in Group 1 as compared to Groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). Platelet parameters were not significantly different between the patients who were responsive and nonresponsive to the treatment. Therefore, the platelet parameters did not affect prognosis significantly in this study samples (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that platelet parameters did not have a significant effect as a prognostic and predictive value in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with SSNHL. Further studies with more homogenous and larger study groups investigating the platelet parameters are needed to demonstrate microvascular damage and vascular alterations induced by diabetes mellitus.

Increased mean platelet volume in patients with idiopathic subjective tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of sound with no external stimulus and idiopathic subjective tinnitus is the most common type in adults. Mean platelet volume (MPV) alterations were shown in some inflammatory diseases and were evaluated as a clinically useful marker. Our aim was to investigate MPV alterations in idiopathic subjective tinnitus patients. A total of 101 patients and 54 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. Patients included in the study had complaints of tinnitus for at least 3 months. All patients underwent detailed otolaryngologic examination, blood sampling, pure tone audiometry, magnetic resonance imaging of ear, and vertebrobasilar artery Doppler ultrasonography to make the differential diagnosis of tinnitus. Blood sampling consisted of renal-liver-thyroid function tests, lipid profile, and complete blood count. All tests and examinations except the imaging modalities were also performed for the control group. There were no differences in age and sex distribution of groups. Mean platelet volume values were significantly increased in tinnitus patients when compared with controls (p = 0.001). We think that MPV can be qualified as a useful marker in tinnitus patients.

Role of Platelet Parameters on Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Case-Control Study in Iran

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a common otological disorder characterized by a hearing loss greater than 30 dB over three consecutive frequencies, in less than 72 hours. It has been established that platelet parameters, such as mean platelet volume, are associated with ischemic heart events, whose clinical manifestations are similar to those of SSNHL. Hence, we aimed to determine if the platelet count, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width are related to the occurrence and severity of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. A case-control prospective study was conducted in a teaching hospital in Iran. One hundred-eight patients with SSNHL and an equal number of healthy, age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from the subjects, and the platelet count, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width were measured with an automated blood cell counter. Analysis of the audiometry and hematological test results using SPSS22 software showed no statistical correlation between the platelet parameters and the occurrence of SSNHL, but correlation coefficients showed a significant correlation between PDW and hearing loss severity in patients group. However, further investigation is required to unequivocally establish the absence of correlation between the platelet parameters and occurrence of SSNHL.

Prognostic value of mean platelet volume on tinnitus

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine whether there was any relationship between tinnitus and mean platelet volume.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted between January 2013 and January 2014 in Ankara Atatürk Hospital and Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital, Turkey, on a study group of 86 patients with tinnitus and a control group of 84 healthy subjects. Mean platelet volume was recorded and comparisons were made between the two groups.

RESULTS

Mean (± standard deviation) platelet volume was 7.67 ± 0.83 μm(3) in the study group and 7.28 ± 0.56 μm(3) in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference in mean platelet volume between the tinnitus patients and the healthy subjects (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The clinical findings indicated that tinnitus patients had a higher mean platelet volume than the healthy control subjects; however, the pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear.

Prognostic value of mean platelet volume in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the role of mean platelet volume (MPV) for predicting long-term outcomes of elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

On the basis of retrospective cohort study, we collected characteristics of 680 patients undergoing elective PCI from October 2005 to August 2010. The patients who had preoperative MPV were assessed for developing major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during 1-year follow-up. They were categorized into two groups including MPV <9.6 fL (n=89) and MPV ≥9.6 fL (n=92). Data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test, Pearson correlation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression.

RESULTS

One-hundred eighty one patients (26.6%) met inclusion criteria. The MACE was observed in 29 patients (16%); and its rate in low- and high-MPV groups was 11.2% and 20.7%, respectively (p=0.084). MPV was significantly higher in the patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40% compared with that of ≥40% (p<0.001). There were a significant and negative correlation between MPV and platelet count (r=-0.305, p<0.001), and significant and positive correlations between MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW) and platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR) (r=0.615, p<0.001 and r=0.913, p<0.001; respectively). The best MPV cut-off point was 9.25 fL; the sensitivity and specificity were 79% and 38%, respectively. Elevated MPV was the best predictor of MACE at 1-year follow-up (OR=11.359, 95% CI 2.481-51.994, p=0.002).

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that preoperative MPV is an independent predictor of the MACE at 1-year follow-up in the patients undergoing elective PCI. Moreover, it may be useful for risk stratification in such cases.