Can Platelet Count and Platelet Indices Predict the Risk and the Prognosis of Preeclampsia?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the hematocrit, platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), PC to MPV ratio in the mild preeclamptic (mPE), severe preeclamptic (sPE) and healthy normotensive pregnant women to evaluate whether these parameters have a predictive and prognostic significance in determining the risk and the severity of preeclampsia (PE).

METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was designed including the patient population (N = 284) composed of 49 mPE, 70 sPE, 165 healthy normotensive pregnant women for controls. Preceding medical histories of all the cases were insignificant.

RESULTS: In comparison of the preeclamptic patients with controls; there was statistically significant difference in PC (p = 0.023; p < 0.05), MPV(p = 0.023; p < 0.05), PC/MPV ratio (p = 0.005; p < 0.01). But there was no difference between sPE and mPE. Cut-off value for MPV was calculated as 9 for the diagnosis of PE (p < 0.01), the odds ratio was 1.999. The cut off value for PC was 190, the odds ratio was 1.932. The cut off value was 19.9 for the PLT/MPV, the odds ratio was 2.42.

CONCLUSION: We suggest that the increasing platelet turnover in PE causes a decrease in the PC, an increase of MPV value and especially a decrease in PC/MPV ratio pointing that these parameters may play an important role in predicting the risk of PE while they have no role on predicting the severity of PE. According to our findings we can suggest that the patients with these cut-off values of PC and platelet indices, should be carefully followed for the development of PE.