Salivary C-reactive protein and mean platelet volume as possible diagnostic markers for late-onset neonatal pneumonia

BACKGROUND Neonatal sepsis,a formidable threat to newborns,is a leading cause of neonatal mortality,with late-onset sepsis manifesting after 72 hours post-birth being particularly concerning.Pneumonia,a prevalent sepsis presentation,poses a significant risk,especially during the neonatal phase when lung defenses are compromised.Accurate diagnosis of pneumonia is imperative for timely and effective interventions.Saliva,a minimally invasive diagnostic medium,holds great promise for evaluating infections,especially in infants.AIM To investigate the potential of serum C-reactive protein(CRP),salivary CRP(sCRP),and mean platelet volume(MPV)as diagnostic markers for late-onset neonatal pneumonia(LONP).METHODS Eighty full-term neonates were systematically examined,considering anthropometric measurements,clinical manifestations,radiology findings,and essential biomarkers,including serum CRP,sCRP,and MPV.RESULTS The study reveals noteworthy distinctions in serum CRP levels,MPV,and the serum CRP/MPV ratio between neonates with LONP and healthy controls.MPV exhibited a robust discriminatory ability[area under the curve(AUC)=0.87]with high sensitivity and specificity at a cutoff value of>8.8.Correlations between serum CRP,sCRP,and MPV were also identified.Notably,sCRP demonstrated excellent predictive value for serum CRP levels(AUC=0.89),underscoring its potential as a diagnostic tool.CONCLUSION This study underscores the diagnostic promise of salivary and serum biomarkers,specifically MPV and CRP,in identifying and predicting LONP among neonates.These findings advocate for further research to validate their clinical utility in larger neonatal cohorts.

Ratio of mean platelet volume to platelet count is a potential surrogate marker predicting liver cirrhosis

AIM To provide a simple surrogate marker predictive of liver cirrhosis(LC).METHODS Specimens from 302 patients who underwent resection for hepatocellular carcinoma between January 2006 and December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on pathologic findings, patients were divided into groups based on whether or not they had LC. Parameters associated with hepatic functional reserve were compared in these two groups using MannWhitney U-test for univariate analysis. Factors differing significantly in univariate analyses were entered into multivariate logistic regression analysis.RESULTS There were significant differences between the LC group(n = 100) and non-LC group(n = 202) in prothrombin activity, concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, albumin, cholinesterase, type Ⅳ collagen, hyaluronic acid, indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min, maximal removal rate of technitium-99 m diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin and ratio of mean platelet volume to platelet count(MPV/PLT). Multivariate analysis showed that prothrombin activity, concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin and hyaluronic acid, and MPV/PLT ratio were factors independently predictive of LC. The area under the curve value for MPV/PLT was 0.78,with a 0.8 cutoff value having a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 78%.CONCLUSION The MPV/PLT ratio, which can be determined simply from the complete blood count, may be a simple surrogate marker predicting LC.

Usefulness of white blood cell count to mean platelet volume ratio for predicting long-term prognosis after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Background and Objective The white blood cell count to mean platelet volume ratio(WMR)has recently been described as a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of admission WMR in predicting outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).

Prognosis of ulcerative colitis differs between patients with complete and partial mucosal healing, which can be predicted from the platelet count

AIM:To determine the difference in clinical outcome between ulcerative colitis(UC)patients with Mayo endoscopic subscore(MES)0 and those with MES 1.METHODS:UC patients with sustained clinical remission of 6 mo or more at the time of colonoscopy were examined for clinical outcomes and the hazard ratios of clinical relapse according to MES.Parameters,including blood tests,to identify predictive factors for MES 0and slight endoscopic recurrence in clinically stablepatients were assessed.Moreover,a receiver operating characteristic curve was generated,and the area under the curve was calculated to indicate the utility of the parameters for the division between complete and partial mucosal healing.All P values were two-sided and considered significant when less than 0.05.RESULTS:A total of 183 patients with clinical remission were examined.Patients with MES 0(complete mucosal healing:n=80,44%)were much less likely to relapse than those with MES 1(partial mucosal healing:n=89,48%)(P<0.0001,log-rank test),and the hazard ratio of risk of relapse in patients with MES 1 vs MES0 was 8.17(95%CI:4.19-17.96,P<0.0001).The platelet count(PLT)<26×104/μL was an independent predictive factor for complete mucosal healing(OR=4.1,95%CI:2.15-7.99).Among patients with MES 0 at the initial colonoscopy,patients of whom colonoscopy findings shifted to MES 1 showed significant increases in PLT compared to those who maintained MES 0(3.8×104/μL vs-0.6×104/μL,P<0.0001).CONCLUSION:The relapse rate differed greatly between patients with complete and partial mucosal healing.A shift from complete to partial healing in clinically stable UC patients can be predicted by monitoring PLT.

Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio to predict esophageal varices in Mexican patients with hepatic cirrhosis

AIM:To validate whether the platelet count/spleen size ratio can be used to predict the presence of esophageal varices in Mexican patients with hepatic cirrhosis.METHODS:This was an analytical cross-sectional study to validate the diagnostic test for hepatic cirrhosis and was performed between February 2010 and December 2011.Patients with a diagnosis of hepatic cirrhosis were included and stratified using their ChildPugh score.Biochemical parameters were evaluated,and ultrasound was used to measure the longest diameter of the spleen.The platelet count/spleen diameter ratio was calculated and analyzed to determine whether it can predict the presence of esophageal varices.Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was used as the gold standard.Sensitivity and specificity,positive and negative predictive values,and positive and negative likelihood ratios were determined,with the cutoff points determined by receiver-operating characteristic curves.RESULTS:A total of 91 patients were included.The mean age was 53.75±12 years;50(54.9%)were men,and 41(45.0%)women.The etiology of cirrhosis included alcohol in 48(52.7%),virally induced in24(26.3%),alcoholism plus hepatitis C virus in three(3.2%),cryptogenic in nine(9.8%),and primary biliary cirrhosis in seven(7.6%).Esophageal varices were present in 73(80.2%)patients.Child-Pugh classification,17(18.6%)patients were classified as class A,37(40.6%)as class B,and 37(40.6%)as class C.The platelet count/spleen diameter ratio to detect esophageal varices independent of the grade showed using a cutoff value of≤884.3,had 84%sensitivity,70%specificity,and positive and negative predictive values of 94%and 40%,respectively.CONCLUSION:Our results suggest that the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio may be a useful tool for detecting esophageal varices in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

Prognostic significance of preoperative platelet count in patients with gallbladder cancer

AIM:To investigate the prognostic value of preoperative platelet count(PLT) in patients with primary gallbladder cancer(GBC).METHODS:The clinical data of 223 GBC patients after surgery was retrospectively reviewed.A receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was plotted to verify the optimum cutoff point for PLT.Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with the prognosis.RESULTS:The ROC curve showed that the optimum cutoff point for PLT was 178 × 109/L,and the entire cohort was stratified into group A with PLT > 178 × 109/L and group B with PLT ≤ 178 × 109/L.Group A had a better survival than group B(P < 0.001).There was an obvious difference between the two groups in terms of the differentiation degree,advanced tumor stage,lymph node metastasis(P < 0.001) and pathological type(P < 0.05).The univariate analysis demonstrated that tumor location,differentiation degree,TNM stage,Nevin stage,lymph node metastasis and PLT were associated with overall survival(P < 0.001).In the multivariate analysis,PLT(P = 0.032),lymph node metastasis(P = 0.007),tumor location(P < 0.001) and TNM stage(P = 0.005) were independent prognostic factors.CONCLUSION:PLT is closely correlated with GBC prognosis and could be used to identify the population with a poorer prognosis after surgery.

Longitudinal decrease in platelet counts as a surrogate marker of liver fibrosis

BACKGROUND Liver cirrhosis is a significant source of morbidity and mortality worldwide.The disease is usually indolent and asymptomatic early in its course while many cirrhotic patients are diagnosed late when severe complications occur.A major challenge is to diagnose advanced fibrosis as early as possible,using simple and non-invasive diagnostics tools.Thrombocytopenia represents advanced fibrosis and portal hypertension(HTN)and most non-invasive scores that predict liver fibrosis incorporate platelets as a strong risk factor.However,little is known about the association between longitudinal changes in platelet counts(PTC),when still within the normal range,and the risk of cirrhosis.AIM To explore whether platelet counts trajectories over time,can predict advanced liver fibrosis across the different etiologies of liver diseases.METHODS A nested case-control study utilizing a large computerized database.Cirrhosis cases(n=5258)were compared to controls(n=15744)matched for age and sex at a ratio of 1:3.All participants had multiple laboratory measurements prior to enrollment.We calculated the trends of PTC,liver enzymes,bilirubin,international normalized ratio,albumin and fibrosis scores(fibrosis-4 and aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index)throughout the preceding 20 years prior to cirrhosis diagnosis compared to healthy controls.The association between PTC,cirrhosis complications and fibrosis scores prior to cirrhosis diagnosis was investigated.RESULTS The mean age in both groups was 56(SD 15.8).Cirrhotic patients were more likely to be smokers,diabetic with chronic kidney disease and had a higher prevalence of HTN.The leading cirrhosis etiologies were viral,alcoholic and fatty liver disease.The mean PTC decreased from 240000/μL to 190000/μL up to 15 years prior to cirrhosis diagnosis compared to controls who’s PTC remained stable around the values of 240000/μL.This trend was consistent regardless of sex,cirrhosis etiology and was more pronounced in patients who developed varices and ascites.Compared to controls whose values remained in the normal range,in the cirrhosis group aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase,increased from 40 U/L to 75 U/L and FIB-4 increased gradually from 1.3 to 3 prior to cirrhosis diagnosis.In multivariable regression analysis,a decrease of 50 units in PTC was associated with 1.3 times odds of cirrhosis(95%CI 1.25-1.35).CONCLUSION In the preceding years before the diagnosis of cirrhosis,there is a progressive decline in PTC,within the normal range,matched to a gradual increase in fibrosis scores.

Lower mean platelet volume is a risk indicator of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence following liver transplantation

Background: Lower mean platelet volume(MPV) is an indicator of platelet activity in the setting of tumor development. This study was to assess the relationship between preoperative MPV and survival outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) following liver transplantation(LT). Methods: The demographic and clinical characteristics of 304 HCC patients following LT were retrieved from an LT database. All the patients were divided into the normal and lower MPV groups according to the median MPV. The factors were first analyzed using a Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, then the factors with P < 0.10 were selected for multivariate Cox regression analysis and were used to define the independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Results: The 1-, 3-, and 5-year tumor free survival was 95.34%, 74.67% and 69.29% in the normal MPV group, respectively, and 95.40%, 59.97% and 42.94% in the lower MPV group, respectively( P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in post-LT complications between the normal and lower MPV groups. Portal vein tumor thrombosis(PVTT)[hazard ratio(HR = 2.24;95% confidence interval: 1.46–3.43;P < 0.01) and lower MPV(HR = 1.58;95% confidence interval: 1.05–2.36;P = 0.03) were identified as independent prognostic risk factors for recipient survival. Conclusion: Preoperative lower MPV is a risk indicator of HCC patients survival outcomes after LT.

Predictive Effect of Mean Platelet Volume in Patients with Portal Vein Thrombosis： A Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies

Mean platelet volume （MPV） is an early marker ofplatelet activation. Larger platelets, compared to small ones, increase platelet adhesion and aggregation, and present a higher thrombotic activity. Some studies have explored the association between MPV and the morbidity of portal vein thrombosis （PVT）. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive effect of MPV in patients with PVT by a meta-analysis. We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, OVID, CNKI and CBMD from database inception to September 13, 2017. Seven studies in accordance with selection criteria were included. The extraction of basic data was independently conducted by two reviewers. The mean difference in MPV between PVT patients and controls were pooled with weighted mean difference （WMD） and 95% confidence interval of 0.88 fl （95% CI： 0.61-1.15）. A random-effect model was chosen for an obvious heterogeneity in the pooling （Chi-square=27.12, df=6, P〈0.0001, F=77.9%）. The sources of heterogeneity were from the difference of primary disease of participants and portal vein diameter. Taken together, our results reveal that MPV is a predictive indicator in patients with PVT.

Low platelet count: Predictor of death and graft loss after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND The impact of platelets on liver transplantation(LT) is well recognized, but not completely understood. Platelets exert dichotomous effects on the graft and on the patient. On the one hand, they are essential for primary hemostasis and tissue repair and regeneration. On the other hand, they support ischemia/reperfusion injury and inflammatory processes. Recent evidence has shown a new role for platelet count(PC) in predicting outcomes after LT.AIM To evaluate if low PC is a predictor of short-and long-term outcomes after LT.METHODS Four hundred and eighty consecutive LT patients were retrospectively assessed.PC from the preoperative to the seventh postoperative day(POD) were considered. C-statistic analysis defined the ideal cutoff point for PC. Cox regression was performed to check whether low PC was a predictor of death,retransplantation or primary changes in graft function within one year after LT.RESULTS The highest median PC was 86 × 109/L [interquartile range(IQR) = 65–100 ×109/L] on seventh POD, and the lowest was 51 × 109/L(IQR = 38–71 × 109/L) on third POD. The C-statistic defined a PC < 70 × 109/L on fifth POD as the ideal cutoff point for predicting death and retransplantation. In the multivariate analysis, platelets < 70 × 109/L on 5 POD was an independent risk factor for death at 12 mo after LT [hazard ratio(HR) = 2.01; 95% confidence interval(CI) 1.06-3.79;P = 0.031]. In the Cox regression, patients with PC < 70 × 109/L on 5 POD had worse graft survival rates up to one year after LT(HR = 2.76; 95%CI 1.52-4.99; P =0.001).CONCLUSION PC < 70 × 109/L on 5 POD is an independent predictor of death in the first year after LT. These results are in agreement with other studies that indicate that low PC after LT is associated with negative outcomes.

Elevated Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Level in Association with Mean Platelet Volume Are Emerging Risk Factors for Vascular Complications in T2DM Patients

Increasing evidence in both experimental and clinical studies suggests oxidative stress (OS) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. In a physiological condition, appropriate levels of ROS, generated either in restricted amounts or transient fashion, are required to promote physiological angiogenesis and homeostatic maintenance of healthy vasculature. Uncontrolled continuous ROS production will ultimately contribute to pathology and cause tissue damage. One of the most important proangiogenic factors is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which plays a key role in diabetic endothelial dysfunction, which ultimately leads to pathogenesis of vascular complications. As VEGF is released by activated platelets, hence platelet activation could be the source of VEGF in plasma samples. Increased platelet activity is emphasized to play a role in the development of vascular complications in T2DM patients and platelet volume, a marker of the platelet function and activation, is measured as mean platelet volume (MPV). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between plasma VEGF levels and MPV levels that may lead to vascular complications. A case-control study of one hundred patients with T2DM (n = 100) and thirty control subjects (n = 30) were screened from different areas of West Bengal. All procedures were done with the informed consent of participants. Elevated VEGF level was found in T2DM patients (526.8 ± 34.3 pg/ml) compared to healthy controls (317.9 ± 12.9 pg/ml) which was statistically significant. T2DM patients had higher MPV (12.5 ± 0.2 fl) compared to controls (11.4 ± 0.2 fl). Thus the present study showed a significant association between VEGF level in plasma and MPV indicating the severity of vascular complications. Hence, in conclusion, it suggested that VEGF levels along with MPV are a reliable biomarker for evaluating the development and progression of vascular complications.

High plasma fibrinogen concentration and platelet count unfavorably impact survival in non–small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases

High expression of fibrinogen and platelets are often observed in non–small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients with local regional or distant metastasis. However, the role of these factors remains unclear. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prognostic significance of plasma fibrinogen concentration and platelet count, as well as to determine the overall survival of NSCLC patients with brain metastases. A total of 275 NSCLC patients with brain metastasis were enrolled into this study. Univariate analysis showed that high plasma fibrinogen concentration was associated with age ≥ 65 years(P = 0.011), smoking status(P = 0.009), intracranial symptoms(P = 0.022), clinical T category(P = 0.010), clinical N category(P = 0.003), increased partial thromboplastin time(P < 0.001), and platelet count(P < 0.001). Patients with low plasma fibrinogen concentration demonstrated longer overall survival compared with those with high plasma fibrinogen concentration(median, 17.3 months versus 11.1 months; P ≤ 0.001). A similar result was observed for platelet counts(median, 16.3 months versus 11.4 months; P = 0.004). Multivariate analysis showed that both plasma fibrinogen concentration and platelet count were independent prognostic factors for NSCLC with brain metastases(R2 = 1.698, P < 0.001 and R2 = 1.699, P < 0.001, respectively). Our results suggest that high plasma fibrinogen concentration and platelet count indicate poor prognosis for NSCLC patients with brain metastases. Thus, these two biomarkers might be independent prognostic predictors for this subgroup of NSCLC patients.

Pretreatment platelet count improves the prognostic performance of the TNM staging system and aids in planning therapeutic regimens for nasopharyngeal carcinoma:a singleinstitutional study of 2,626 patients

Introduction:Thrombocytosis has been identified as an unfavorable prognostic factor in several types of cancer.This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment platelet count in association with the TNM staging system and therapeutic regimens in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).Methods:A total of 2,626 patients with NPC were retrospectively analyzed.Platelet count >300 × 10~9/L was defined as thrombocytosis.Matched-pair analysis was performed between patients receiving chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy.Results:Multivariate analysis showed that platelet count was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for overall survival(OS)[hazard ratio(HR) = 1.810,95%confidence interval(CI) = 1.531-2.140,P < 0.001]and distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS)(HR = 1.873,95%CI = 1.475-2.379,P < 0.001) in the entire patient cohort.Further subgroup analysis revealed that increased platelet count was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for OS and DMFS in patients with NPC stratified by early and advanced T category,N category,or TNM classification(all P < 0.001).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves verified that the predictive value of TNM classification for OS was improved when combined with pretreatment platelet count(P = 0.030).Matched-pair analysis showed that chemoradiotherapy significantly improved OS only in advanced-stage NPC with thrombocytosis(HR = 0.416,95%CI = 0.226-0.765,P = 0.005).Conclusions:Pretreatment platelet count,when combined with TNM classification,is a useful indicator for metastasis and survival in patients with NPC.It may improve the predictive value of the TNM classification and help to identify patients likely to benefit from more aggressive therapeutic regimens.

Significance of platelet count in children admitted with bronchiolitis

AIM To determine the true prevalence of thrombocytosis in children less than 2 years of age with bronchiolitis,its association with risk factors,disease severity and thromboembolic complications.METHODS A retrospective observational medical chart review of 305 infants aged two years or less hospitalized for bronchiolitis.Clinical outcomes included disease severity,duration of hospital stay,admission to pediatric intensive care unit,or death.They also included complications of thrombocytosis,including thromboembolic complications such as cerebrovascular accident,acute coronary syndrome,deep venous thrombosis,pulmonary embolus,mesenteric thrombosis and arterial thrombosis and also hemorrhagic complications such as bleeding(spontaneous hemorrhage in the skin,mucous membranes,gastrointestinal,respiratory,or genitourinary tracts).RESULTS The median age was 4.7 mo and 179 were males(59%).Respiratory syncytial virus was isolated in 268(84%),adenovirus in 23(7%) and influenza virus A or B in 13(4%).Thrombocytosis(platelet count > 500 × 109/L) occurred in 88(29%;95%CI:24%-34%),more commonly in younger infants with the platelet count declining with age.There was no significant association with the duration of illness,temperature on admission,white blood cell count,serum C-reactive protein concentration,length of hospital stay or admission to the intensive care unit.No death,thrombotic or hemorrhagic events occurred.CONCLUSION Thrombocytosis is common in children under two years of age admitted with bronchiolitis.It is not associated with disease severity or thromboembolic complications.

Low preoperative platelet counts predict a high mortality after partial hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To assess the validity of our selection criteria for hepatectomy procedures based on indocyanine green disappearance rate (KICG), and to unveil the factors affecting posthepatectomy mortality in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 198 consecutive patients with HCC who underwent partial hepatectomies in the past 14 years was conducted. The selection criteria for hepatectomy procedures during the study period were KICG≥0.12 for hemihepatectomy, KICG≥0.10 for bisegmentectomy, KICG≥0.08 for monosegmentectomy, and KICG ≥0.06 for nonanatomic hepatectomy. The hepatectomies were categorized into three types: major hepatectomy (hemihepatectomy or a more extensive procedure),bisegmentectomy, and limited hepatectomy. Univariate (Fishers exact test) and multivariate (the logistic regression model) analyses were used.RESULTS: Postoperative mortality was 5% after major hepatectomy, 3% after bisegmentectomy, and 3% after limited hepatectomy. The three percentages were comparable (P = 0.876). The platelet count of ≤ 10x 104/μL was the strongest independent factor for postoperative mortality on univariate (P = 0.001) and multivariate (risk ratio,12.5; P= 0.029) analyses. No patient with a platelet count of ＞7.3x 104/μL died of postoperative morbidity, whereas 25% (6/24 patients) of patients with a platelet count of ≤7.3x 104/μL died (P＜0.001).CONCLUSION: The selection criteria for hepatectomy procedures based on KICG are generally considered valid,because of the acceptable morbidity and mortality with these criteria. The preoperative platelet count independently affects morbidity and mortality after hepatectomy, suggesting that a combination of KICG and platelet count would further reduce postoperative mortality.

Mean platelet volume as a novel predictor of systematic inflammatory response in cirrhotic patients with culturenegative neutrocytic ascites

AIM: To identify a mean platelet volume(MPV) cutoff value which should be able to predict the presence of bacterial infection.METHODS: An observational, analytic, retrospective study. We evaluated medical records of cirrhotic patients who were hospitalized from January 2012 to January 2014 at the Gastroenterology Department of "Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga", we included 51 cirrhotic patients with ascites fluid infection(AFI), and 50 non-infected cirrhotic patients as control group. Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to identify the best cutoff value of several parameters from hematic cytometry, including MPV, to predict the presence of ascites fluid infection.RESULTS: Of the 51 cases with AFI, 48 patients(94.1%) had culture-negative neutrocytic ascites(CNNA), 2(3.9%) had bacterial ascites, and one(2%)had spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Infected patients had greater count of leucocytes and polymorphonuclear cells, greater levels of MPV and cardiac frequency(P < 0.0001), and lower mean arterial pressure compared with non-infected patients(P = 0.009). Leucocytes, polymorphonuclear count, MPV and cardiac frequency resulted to be good or very good predictive variables of presence of AFI in cirrhotic patients(area under the receiving operating characteristic > 0.80). A cutoff MPV value of 8.3 fl was the best to discriminate between cirrhotic patients with AFI and those without infection. CONCLUSION: Our results support that MPV can be an useful predictor of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in cirrhotic patients with AFI, particularly CNNA.

Can mean platelet volume play a role in evaluating the severity of acute pancreatitis?

AIM To investigate serum mean platelet volume(MPV) levels in acute pancreatitis(AP) patients and assess whether MPV effectively predicts the disease severity of AP.METHODS We included 117 consecutive patients with AP as the AP group and 34 consecutive patients with colorectal polyps(before endoscopic treatment) as the control group. Complete blood counts, liver function, platelet indices(MPV), coagulation parameters, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) and C-reactive protein(CRP) were measured on days 1, 2, 3 and 7 after admission. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of MPV, white blood cell(WBC), LDH and CRP in predicting AP severity. The Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score(m GPS) and the 2012 revised Atlanta criteria were used to evaluate disease severity in AP.RESULTS MPV levels were significantly lower in the AP group than in the control group on day 1(P = 0.000), day 2(P = 0.029) and day 3(P = 0.001) after admission.In addition, MPV values were lower on day 1 after admission than on day 2(P = 0.012), day 3(P = 0.000) and day 7(P = 0.002) in all AP patients. Based on the m GPS, 78 patients(66.7%) were diagnosed with mild and 39 patients(33.3%) with severe AP. There was no significant difference in mean MPV levels between patients diagnosed with mild and severe AP based on the m GPS(P = 0.424). According to the 2012 revised Atlanta criteria, there were 98 patients(83.8%) without persistent organ failure(OF) [non-severe acute pancreatitis(non-SAP) group] and 19 patients(16.2%) with persistent OF(SAP group). MPV levels were significantly lower in the SAP group than in the non-SAP group on day 1 after admission(P = 0.002). On day 1 after admission using a cut-off value of 6.65 f L, the overall accuracy of MPV for predicting SAP according to the 2012 revised Atlanta criteria(AUC = 0.716) had a sensitivity of 91.8% and a specificity of 47.4% and was superior to the accuracy of the traditional markers WBC(AUC = 0.700) and LDH(AUC = 0.697).CONCLUSION MPV can be used at no additional cost as a useful, noninvasive biomarker that distinguishes AP with persistent OF from AP without persistent OF on day 1 of hospital admission.

The Relationship Between Mean Platelet Volume and In-Hospital Mortality in Geriatric Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Who Underwent Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective:We planned to investigate the effect of mean platelet volume(MPV)on in-hospital mortality and coronary risk factors in geriatric patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods:We enrolled 194 consecutive STEMI patients.The study population was divided into two groups on the basis of admission MPVs.The high-MPV group(n=49)included patients in the highest tertile(>8.9 fL),and the low-MPV group(n=145)included patients with a value in the lower two tertiles(≤8.9 fL).Clinical characteristics,in-hospital mortality,cardiovascular risk factors,and outcomes of primary PCI were analyzed.Results:The patients in the high-MPV group were older,more of them had three-vessel disease,and they had higher in-hospital mortality.Patients with in-hospital death were older,had higher Gensini score,creatinine concentration,and MPV,and had lower HDL cholesterol concentration.MPV,age,HDL cholesterol concentration,creatinine concentration,and Gensini score were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital death.Conclusion:These results suggest that high admission MPV levels are associated with increased in-hospital mortality in geriatric patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.

Longitudinal changes in personalized platelet count metrics are good indicators of initial 3-year outcome in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Platelet count or complete blood count(CBC)-based ratios including lymphocyteto-monocyte(LMR),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte(NLR),hemoglobin-to-platelet(HPR),red blood cell count distribution width-to-platelet(RPR),and platelet-tolymphocyte(PLR)ratio are good predictors of colorectal cancer(CRC)survival.Their change in time is not well documented,however.AIM To investigate the effect of longitudinal CBC ratio changes on CRC survival and their possible associations with clinicopathological properties,comorbidities,and anamnestic data.METHODS A retrospective longitudinal observational study was conducted with the inclusion of 835 CRC patients,who attended at Semmelweis University,Budapest.CBC ratios and two additional newly defined personalized platelet count metrics(pPLT_(D)and pPLT_(S),the platelet counts relative to the measurement at the time of CRC diagnosis and to the one 4-6 wk after tumor removal surgery,respectively)were recorded.RESULTS The 835 CRC patients had a total of 4608 measurements(5.52 visits/patient,in average).Longitudinal survival models revealed that the increases/decreases in LMR[hazard ratio(HR):0.4989,P<0.0001],NLR(HR:1.0819,P<0.0001),HPR(HR:0.0533,P=0.0038),pPLT_(D)(HR:4.9229,P<0.0001),and pPLT_(S)(HR:4.7568,P<0.0001)values were poor prognostic signs of disease-specific survival.The same was obtained for all-cause mortality.Most abnormal changes occurred within the first 3 years after the diagnosis of CRC.RPR and PLR had an only marginal effect on diseasespecific(P=0.0675)and all-cause mortality(Bayesian 95%credible interval:0.90–186.05),respectively.CONCLUSION LMR,NLR,and HPR are good metrics to follow the prognosis of the disease.pPLT_(D)and pPLT_(S)perform just as well as the former,while the use of RPR and PLR with the course of the disease is not recommended.Early detection of the abnormal changes in pPLT_(D),pPLT_(S),LMR,NLR,or HPR may alert the practicing oncologist for further therapy decisions in a timely manner.

Progression of Platelet Counts in Treatment Naïve HIV/HCV Co-Infection

Background: Previous research has suggested an association between infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and low platelet counts. This study estimates platelet count changes over time in HIV/HCV co-infected participants and compares them with the changes in platelet count among HIV mono-infected participants to test if HIV/HCV co-infection is associated with lower platelet counts. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all HIV treatment naive patients from four sites in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) cohort with platelet count measurements between 2002 and 2009. We conducted a mixed effects linear regression modeling the mean change in platelet count per year while adjusting for age, sex, race, baseline CD4 cell count, and site. Index date was the first platelet count after 2002, and participants were censored upon initiation of treatment for HIV or HCV. Results: There were 929 HIV/HCV co-infected and 3558 HIV mono-infected participants with a mean follow-up time of 1.2 years. HIV/HCV co-infected participants had on average a slighter lower platelet count at baseline (234,040 vs. 242,780/μL;p-value = 0.004), and a more rapid mean reduction per year (7230 vs. 3580/μL;p-value 0.001) after adjusting for age, sex, baseline CD4 count. Conclusions: In treatment naive participants, HIV/HCV co-infection is associated with a more rapid decline in platelet count compared with HIV mono-infection.