Assessment of Mean Platelet Volume and its Effect on Disease Control in Patients with Acromegaly.

BACKGROUND: Morbidity and mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases are more common in acromegalic patients than the healthy population. Platelets play a significant role in both the onset and progression of clotting which then cause the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation and known as an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic processes. The aim of this study was to compare MPV levels between acromegalic and non-acromegalic patients.

METHODS: The data of 56 acromegalic patients and 72 controls matched for age, gender, and the presence of diabetes were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS: MPV levels were found to be higher in acromegalic patients compared to controls (8.82 ± 1.17 fL and 7.74 ± 0.87 fL, respectively, p < 0.001). Acromegalic patients were also classified according to their status of remission (a total of 27 patients were in remission and 29 patients were not in remission). Both age and gender were similar between the groups (p = 0.145 and p = 0.616, respectively). MPV levels at the time of diagnosis and after six months of treatment (p = 0.555 and p = 0.917, respectively) were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that MPV levels are higher in acromegalic patients than the controls until the early stages of treatment, independent of diabetes. Therefore, MPV levels may be an important determinant of acromegalic patients.