Association between high platelet indices and proteinuria in patients with hypertension

The Predictive Role of Hematological Parameters in Hypertension

Hypertension (HT) is a common chronic disease that often causes target-organ damage and severe complications, contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation plays a prominent role in the initiation and progression of HT. Multiple inflammatory biomarkers have been proposed to predict HT. Several new hematological parameters can reflect the inflammatory response and platelet activation. The major advantage of hematological parameters over conventional inflammatory markers is that they are relatively inexpensive and easily obtained from routine blood tests. Numerous studies have investigated several hematological parameters for their utility as predictive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of HT. Among them, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) have recently received attention. We searched PubMed and Embase databases (up to September 18, 2022) to assess the relationships between hematological parameters and HT. This review discusses the diagnostic and prognostic value of these hematological parameters in HT, providing an important basis for early screening, risk stratification, and optimal management of hypertensive patients.

Hematological parameters of hypertensive patients in northeast Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

Introduction

Hypertension has emerged as a significant public health concern, ranking among the leading causes of mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, it is closely associated with structural and functional alterations in hematopoietic cells. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the hematological parameters of hypertensive patients in Northeast Ethiopia.

Methods

A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2023, involving 248 participants. This included 124 hypertensive patients and 124 apparently healthy controls selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements were obtained following established guidelines. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Wollo University. After obtaining informed consent, approximately 5 ml of venous blood was drawn from each participant for complete blood count and fasting blood glucose analysis, performed using the Mindray BC-3000 Plus hematology analyzer and the DIRUI CS-T240 automated clinical chemistry analyzer, respectively. Data analysis involved independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U-tests, correlation tests, and logistic regression. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The study found that white blood cell count, platelet count, platelet distribution width, red cell distribution width, and mean platelet volume were significantly higher in hypertensive patients compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conversely, red blood cell count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels were significantly higher in the control group than in hypertensive patients (p < 0.05). Additionally, white blood cells and platelets exhibited a positive correlation with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05), while red blood cell count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin demonstrated a negative correlation with blood pressure indices and body mass index. Anemia was observed in 20.2 % of hypertensive patients. Notably, an abnormal body mass index (AOR: 3.5, 95 % CI: 1.3-9.6, p = 0.011) and high systolic blood pressure (AOR: 4.6, 95 % CI: 1.3-15.5, p = 0.013) were significantly associated with anemia among hypertensive patients.

Conclusion

This study identified significant differences in various hematological parameters between hypertensive patients and the control group. Routine assessments of hematological parameters should be considered to effectively manage hypertension-related complications in hypertensive patients.

Association of Mean Platelet Volume with Grades of Hypertensive Retinopathy

OBJECTIVE

Hypertension is the most prevalent non communicable disease causing deaths even before evidence of target organ damage. Platelet activation is associated with risk of vascular events. Identification of mean platelet volume (MPV) values in patients with hypertensive retinopathy (HR) can help in prognostication and risk stratification of possible complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients presenting to the outpatient department over a period of 18 months underwent clinical examination, blood sampling, direct ophthalmoscopic examination, and two-dimensional echocardiography.

RESULTS

Out of 104 subjects, there were a total of 25 females and 79 males. Patients with grade 1HR had a mean MPV value of 9.4, those with grade 2 HR had a mean MPV of 9.8, among people with grade 3 HR the mean MPV was 10.1, and those with grade 4 HR had a mean MPV of 10.9.

CONCLUSION

In our study, we have seen that MPV increases with increasing severity of HR, thus implying that MPV probably plays a role in HR. Testing of MPV can be used to decide whether preventative treatments should be instituted to the prevent the severe complications of retinopathy and thus decrease the risk and occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.

White blood cell and platelet distribution widths are associated with hypertension: data mining approaches

In this paper, we are going to investigate the association between Hypertension (HTN) and routine hematologic indices in a cohort of Iranian adults. The data were obtained from a total population of 9704 who were aged 35-65 years, a prospective study was designed. The association between hematologic factors and HTN was assessed using logistic regression (LR) analysis and a decision tree (DT) algorithm. A total of 9704 complete datasets were analyzed in this cohort study (N = 3070 with HTN [female 62.47% and male 37.52%], N = 6634 without HTN [female 58.90% and male 41.09%]). Several variables were significantly different between the two groups, including age, smoking status, BMI, diabetes millitus, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), uric acid, FBS, total cholesterol, HGB, LYM, WBC, PDW, RDW, RBC, sex, PLT, MCV, SBP, DBP, BUN, and HCT (P < 0.05). For unit odds ratio (OR) interpretation, females are more likely to have HTN (OR = 1.837, 95% CI = (1.620, 2.081)). Among the analyzed variables, age and WBC had the most significant associations with HTN OR = 1.087, 95% CI = (1.081, 1.094) and OR = 1.096, 95% CI = (1.061, 1.133), respectively (P-value < 0.05). In the DT model, age, followed by WBC, sex, and PDW, has the most significant impact on the HTN risk. Ninety-eight percent of patients had HTN in the subgroup with older age (≥58), high PDW (≥17.3), and low RDW (<46). Finally, we found that elevated WBC and PDW are the most associated factor with the severity of HTN in the Mashhad general population as well as female gender and older age.

The Role of Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio in Predicting the Severity of Proteinuria and Renal Dysfunction in Primary Nephrotic Syndrome

Introduction: Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio (MHR) has emerged as a novel marker of endothelial injury, inflammation, and oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MHR on primary nephrotic syndrome (NS) and its relationship with the severity of proteinuria.

Methods: This study enrolled 161 patients newly diagnosed with primary NS and 100 healthy individuals. Demographic characteristics of the patients, primary NS diagnosis, basal laboratory parameters, the amount of 24-hour urinary protein excretion, and MHR were recorded. The groups were compared regarding these parameters.

Results: MHR was significantly higher in patients with primary NS compared with the healthy group (12.89 ± 4.86 and 9.71 ± 2.30, respectively; p < 0.001). There was no difference between the groups in terms of age and sex. The amount of protein in the 24-hour urine in patients with a diagnosis of primary NS was 6.91 ± 3.73 g/day. The correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between MHR and the amount of proteinuria (r = 0.519, p < 0.001) and creatinine level (r = 0.167, p = 0.034). The multivariate regression analysis found that the severity of proteinuria was independently correlated to MHR (p < 0.001). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cut-off level for MHR in NS was 10.08 (area under the curve of 0.704, sensitivity of 68%, and a specificity of 62%).

Conclusion: Our study is the first to compare the severity of proteinuria and renal functions with MHR in patients with primary NS. We believe that MHR can be used as a biomarker to determine inflammation, endothelial injury, and the level of oxidative stress, and may be useful to predict prognosis in patients with primary NS.

The different associations between platelet distribution width and hypertension subtypes in males and females

The prevalence of hypertension has increased rapidly in recent years. Currently, increasing attention has been paid to the relationship between hypertension and platelet abnormalities. As a simple and available platelet parameter, platelet distribution width (PDW) can reflect platelet abnormalities and further reflect the risk of thrombotic diseases. However, the views on PDW and hypertension are controversial at present studies. Hence, we aimed to find the associations between PDW and hypertension subtypes in the present study. A total of 73,469 participants (44,665 males and 28,804 females) were enrolled. We found that PDW was a risk factor for isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), and the risk of ISH increased with PDW quartiles among women. In men, high PDW might be a risk factor for isolated diastolic hypertension and systolic–diastolic hypertension.

Associations of platelet indices with proteinuria and chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVES

Platelet (PLT) indices are predictive in many diseases and conditions. The relationships of these indices with proteinuria and progression of renal disease are not well known. This study aimed to assess PLT indices in patients with primary glomerular nephrotic range proteinuria (PGNRP), with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD), and to compare these indices with those of healthy individuals (His).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed from January 2015 to May 2015. HIs (n = 57) and patients with PGNRP (n = 41) were enrolled. PLT indices and blood biochemistry parameters were compared between HIs and patients with PGNRP, as well as between subgroups of patients with PGNRP who had CKD (n = 23) and those who did not have CKD (n = 18).

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in any PLT indices (i.e., platelet number, mean platelet volume, plateletcrit, and platelet distribution width) between HIs and patients with PGNRP, or between the subgroups of patients with PGNRP. However, patients with PGNRP who had CKD exhibited higher median C-reactive protein and mean albumin levels, compared with patients who did not have CKD.

CONCLUSIONS

Pathological processes in proteinuria and CKD are not associated with PLT indices.

Hematologic disorders during essential hypertension

BACKGROUND

Besides the traditional risk factors, hematological changes may be involved in the development of arterial hypertension and in its pathogenesis.

METHODS

The study, conducted on a sample of 545 subjects, 215 with hypertension and 330 witnesses, were evaluated for peripheral blood parameters in western Algeria; Logistic regression analysis was used to predict hypertension with hematological parameters.

RESULTS

The characters studied related significantly; lower red blood cell levels have a three-and-a-half-fold risk of developing hypertension compared to those who have normal red blood cell counts (OR = 3.64, 95% CI = 1.37-9.65, p < 0.05). Subjects who have mean corpuscular volume rate below 80 fl are more exposed to hypertension (OR = 13.58, 95% CI = 4.68-39.41, p = 0.000). The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration reveals that subjects who have a lower than normal (<27 pg) are once less exposed to hypertension (OR = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.01-0.13, p = 0.000). Subjects who have lower platelet count than normal are twelve times more exposed to hypertension (OR = 12.13, 95% CI = 1.45-101.18, P = 0.021). Finally, the increase in sedimentation rate at one hour increases the risk of hypertension by 56.63 times compared to subjects with normal sedimentation rate (OR = 56.63, 95% CI = 3.37-597.33, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Hematological profile associated with essential hypertension retained Red blood cells ratio, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelet ratio, and sedimentation rate at one hour.

Comparison of Platelet Distribution Width and CA19-9 in Resectable Pancreas Cancer

Background

Platelets are considered an important source of prothrombotic agents associated with inflammation in cancer related diseases. We aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the platelet distribution width (PDW) and CA19-9 in resectable pancreas cancer.

Method

A total of 83 stage-1 and 2 pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) patients, and 85 age and sex-matched healthy participants were included in the study. All preoperative patient data, including PDW and CA19-9 were analyzed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, and diagnostic accuracy.

Results

Demographic features were not significantly different among the groups. Platelet distribution width and CA19-9 were significantly higher in PAC compared to control group (p= 0.0001). Diagnostically, the sensitivity and specificity were 79% and 85% for PDW, while 78% and 91% for CA19-9. Diagnostic accuracy was measured by the area under the ROC curve, and PDW differs significantly (p<0.001), with a value of 0.874 (95% CI: 0.804-0.929).

Conclusion

Platelet distribution width indicated similar sensitivity and specificity with CA19-9 in patients with resectable PAC. This result strongly advice that PDW, which has more routine option and cost-effectivity than CA19-9, can be used for diagnosis of resectable PAC as a strong alternative.

The role of the PLR-NLR combination in the prediction of the presence of Helicobacter pylori and its associated complications

BACKGROUND/AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)-neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) combination, in the prediction of the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) and its associated complications in the gastrointestinal system.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 1289 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and biopsy for HP were included in the study.

RESULTS

The ratio of patients with moderate and severe chronic gastritis was higher in HP (+) group than HP (-) group. The ratio of patients with levels 1-3 atrophy and intestinal metaplasia was higher in HP (+) group. Compared with HP (-) group, HP (+) had higher PLR and NLR levels. The ratio of HP (+) patients was higher in high-risk group compared with low- and medium-risk groups. HP invasion stage, the intestinal metaplasia level, and the ratio of patients with atrophy level "3" were higher in high-risk group compared with low- and medium-risk groups. Regression analysis showed that the PLR-NLR combination was an independent risk factor for both HP presence and moderate and severe chronic gastritis.

CONCLUSION

We found the PLR-NLR combination to be a good predictor of HP presence and gastrointestinal complications associated with HP.

A comparative cross-sectional study of some hematological parameters of hypertensive and normotensive individuals at the university of Gondar hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Background

Hypertension is a major health problem worldwide. It can lead to cardiovascular disease and also leads to functional disturbances including hematological parameters. The abnormalities of haematological parameters may enhance an end-organ damage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess some hematological parameters of hypertensive individuals in comparison with normotensive individuals at University of Gondar hospital, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross sectional comparative study was conducted from October to November 2015 on a total of 126 hypertensive and 126 normotensive individuals at University of Gondar Hospital. All participants after taking informed consent were interviewed for detailed history and 3 ml of blood was collected for hematological test analysis. Independent t-test and the Mann Whitney u-test were used to find out significant difference and Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation were used for correlation test. P values less than 0.05 was considered the level of significance.

Result

From a total of 252 study subjects, about 67.5% were females. The mean age of study subjects was 50.3 ± 11 years for hypertensive individuals and 49.8 ± 11.6 years for normotensive individuals with range of 18–65 years. In the present study, the median (IQR) value of WBC, RBC, Hgb, HCT, MCV and the mean value of MCHC, RDW, MPV and PDW were significantly higher in hypertensive group compared to apparently healthy normotensive groups. Additionally, WBC, RBC, Hgb, HCT and PLT showed statistically significant positive correlations with blood pressure indices. Platelet count and MCH did not show statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusion

Hypertension has impact on hematological parameters. In this study, the mean and median values of haematological parameters in hypertensive individuals were significantly different compared to apparently healthy normotensive individuals. Hence, hematological parameters can be used to monitor the prognosis of the disease and manage hypertensive related complications, and it is important to assess hematological parameters for hypertensive individuals which may help to prevent complications associated hematological disorders.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi: 10.1186/s12878-017-0093-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A novel clinical index for the assessment of RVD in acute pulmonary embolism: Blood pressure index

BACKGROUND

This study aims to investigate the role of the blood pressure index (BPI), which is a new index that we developed, in detection of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) in acute pulmonary embolism (APE).

METHODS

A total of 539 patients, (253 males and 286 females), diagnosed with APE using computer tomography pulmonary angiography were included in the study. The BPI was obtained by dividing systolic blood pressure (SBP) by diastolic blood pressure (DBP).

RESULTS

Mean DBP (75±11mmHg vs 63±15mmHg; p<0.001, respectively) was found to be higher in RVD patients compared to those without RVD, whereas BPI (1.5±0.1 vs 1.9±0.2; p<0.001, respectively) was lower. Examining the performance of BPI in prediction of RVD using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area under curve±SE=0.975±0.006; p<0.001), it was found that BPI could predict RVD with very high sensitivity (92.8%) and specificity (100%) and had a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 42.1%. According to the analysis, the highest youden index for the optimal prediction value was found to be 0.478 and the BPI≤1.4 was found to predict mortality 68.6% sensitivity and 80.8% specificity (Area under curve±SE=0.777±0.051; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that BPI was an index with high positive predictive value and low negative predictive value in detection of RVD.

Mean platelet volume as a marker for differentiating disease flare from infection in Behçet's disease

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and clinical manifestations, disease activity or infection in patients with Behçet's disease (BD).

METHODS

In total, 193 patients diagnosed with BD according to the international criteria for BD were enrolled. Demographic data, clinical manifestations and laboratory results were collected by medical interviews and reviewing medical records.

RESULTS

The female : male ratio was 2 : 1 and the age of symptom onset was 32.2 ± 11.1 years. The age at diagnosis of BD was 44.7 ± 11.1 years and the follow-up duration was 4.7 ± 3.8 years. MPV at diagnosis were significantly lower than of age and sex-matched controls (8.2 ± 1.2 vs. 8.6 ± 1.2 fL, P < 0.0001). Lower MPV was not related to organ involvement except skin diseases. During follow-up, MPV was lower in BD flare than in stable BD (8.2 ± 1.4 vs. 9.1 ± 1.4 fL, P < 0.0001) in the same patients. MPVs were significantly higher in cases of accompanying infections than in those with both BD flare and stable BD (9.3 ± 1.4 vs. 8.1 ± 1.3 fL, P = 0.018 and 9.7 ± 1.4 vs. 8.8 ± 1.0 fL, P = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

MPV was significantly lower in patients with BD than controls. MPV declined in BD flare and increased in cases of infection in same patients. MPV may be useful as a marker of BD activity and its monitoring can be helpful for differentiating BD flare from infection in BD patients.

Diagnostic validity of hematologic parameters in evaluation of massive pulmonary embolism

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine the hematologic parameter with the highest diagnostic differentiation in the identification of massive acute pulmonary embolism (APE).

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed on patients diagnosing with APE between June 2014 and June 2016. All radiological and laboratory parameters of patients were scanned through the electronic information management system of the hospital. PLR was obtained from the ratio of platelet count to lymphocyte count, NLR was obtained from the ratio of neutrophil count to lymphocyte count, WMR was obtained from white blood cell in mean platelet volume ratio, MPR was obtained from the ratio of mean platelet volume to platelet count, and RPR was obtained from the ratio of red distribution width to platelet count.

RESULTS

Six hundred and thirty-nine patients consisting of 292 males (45.7%) and 347 females (54.3%) were included in the research. Independent predictors of massive risk as compared to sub-massive group were; pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) (OR=1.40; P=.001), PLR (OR=1.59; P<.001), NLR (OR=2.22; P<.001), WMR (OR=1.22; P<.001), MPR (OR=0.33; P<.001), and RPR (OR=0.68; P<.001). Upon evaluation of the diagnostic differentiation of these risk factors for massive APE by employing receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, it was determined that PLR (AUC±SE=0.877±0.015; P<.001), and NLR (AUC±SE=0.893±0.013; P<.001) have similar diagnostic differentiation in diagnosing massive APE and these two parameters are superior over PASP, MPR, WMR, and RPR.

CONCLUSION

We determined that the levels of NLR and PLR are superior to other parameters in the determination of clinical severity in APE cases.

An association of platelet indices with blood pressure in Beijing adults: Applying quadratic inference function for a longitudinal study

The quadratic inference function (QIF) method becomes more acceptable for correlated data because of its advantages over generalized estimating equations (GEE). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between platelet indices and blood pressure using QIF method, which has not been studied extensively in real data settings.A population-based longitudinal study was conducted in Beijing from 2007 to 2012, and the median of follow-up was 6 years. A total of 6515 cases, who were aged between 20 and 65 years at baseline and underwent routine physical examinations every year from 3 Beijing hospitals were enrolled to explore the association between platelet indices and blood pressure by QIF method. The original continuous platelet indices were categorized into 4 levels (Q1-Q4) using the 3 quartiles of P25, P50, and P75 as a critical value. GEE was performed to make a comparison with QIF.After adjusting for age, usage of drugs, and other confounding factors, mean platelet volume was negatively associated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (Equation is included in full-text article.)in males and positively linked with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (Equation is included in full-text article.). Platelet distribution width was negatively associated with SBP (Equation is included in full-text article.). Blood platelet count was associated with DBP (Equation is included in full-text article.)in males.Adults in Beijing with prolonged exposure to extreme value of platelet indices have elevated risk for future hypertension and evidence suggesting using some platelet indices for early diagnosis of high blood pressure was provided.

Concomitant measurements of serum annexin A5 levels and hematological indices as markers in recent and old myocardial infarction with low ejection fraction: A preliminary study

BACKGROUND

Serum annexin A5 (anxA5) level is significantly increased in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Hematological indices are significantly increased in patients with ischemic heart disease. This study aimed to demonstrate the changes in the distribution of blood cells and the levels of anxA5 in patients presented with significant low ejection fraction ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) in comparison with corresponding patients with ischemic heart disease.

METHODS

Patients with low ejection fraction presenting at Hospital of Diyala University of Iraq were enrolled. Electrocardiograph (ECG), echocardiograph, hematological indices, serum annexin V (anxV) levels and the determinants of the cardio-metabolic risk factors were performed. Based on clinical examination, ECG findings and laboratory tests, patients were divided into healthy subjects (n=20); patients with acute MI (n=40) and with chronic MI (n=12).

RESULTS

Acute MI has significant high levels of serum triglyceride, uric acid and high mean value of red cell distribution width (RDW) compared with healthy subjects and chronic MI. Platelet distribution width (PDW) is significantly reduced in patients of acute MI and chronic MI compared with healthy subjects, whereas the plateletcrit (PCT) is significantly higher in acute MI compared with healthy subjects. There is an insignificant difference between the means of serum anxA5 levels of acute MI (35.6±7.2ng/ml) and chronic MI (32.4±8.9ng/ml), but significantly higher than the cutoff level of the healthy subjects (5ng/ml).

CONCLUSIONS

Measurement of serum annexin level is a useful diagnostic marker of acute or chronic MI with low ejection fraction.

The use of platelet indices, plateletcrit, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width in emergency non-traumatic abdominal surgery: a systematic review

Platelet indices (PI) -- plateletcrit, mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) -- are a group of derived platelet parameters obtained as a part of the automatic complete blood count. Emerging evidence suggests that PIs may have diagnostic and prognostic value in certain diseases. This study aimed to summarize the current scientific knowledge on the potential role of PIs as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in patients having emergency, non-traumatic abdominal surgery. In December 2015, we searched Medline/PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar to identify all articles on PIs. Overall, considerable evidence suggests that PIs are altered with acute appendicitis. Although the role of PI in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen remains uncertain, low MPV might be useful in acute appendicitis and acute mesenteric ischemia, with high MPV predicting poor prognosis in acute mesenteric ischemia. The current lack of consistency and technical standards in studies involving PIs should be regarded as a serious limitation to comparing these studies. Further large, multicentre prospective studies concurrently collecting data from different ethnicities and genders are needed before they can be used in routine clinical practice.

Altered mean platelet volume in patients with polymyositis and its association with disease severity

Polymyositis (PM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation in skeletal muscle. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a marker in the assessment of systemic inflammation, is easily measured by automatic blood count equipment. However, to our knowledge, there are no data in the literature with respect to MPV levels in PM patients. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate MPV levels in patients with PM. This study included 92 newly diagnosed PM patients and 100 healthy individuals. MPV levels were found to be significantly lower compared with healthy controls (10.3±1.23 vs 11.5±0.74 fL, P<0.001). Interestingly, MPV was found to be positively correlated with manual muscle test (MMT) score and negatively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in patients with PM (r=0.239, P=0.022; r=-0.268, P=0.010, respectively). In addition, MPV was significantly lower in active PM patients compared with inactive PM patients (9.9±1.39 vs 10.6±0.92 fL, P=0.010). MPV was independently associated with PM in multivariate regression analyses, when controlling for hemoglobin and ESR (OR=0.312, P=0.031, 95%CI=0.108 to 0.899). The ROC curve analysis for MPV in estimating PM patients resulted in an area under the curve of 0.800, with sensitivity of 75.0% and specificity of 67.4%. Our results suggest that MPV is inversely correlated with disease activity in patients with PM. MPV might be a useful tool for rapid assessment of disease severity in PM patients.