[Correlation between platelet blood levels and the hepatic venous pressure gradient among patients with cirrhosis]

Determination of hepatic venous pressure gradient is the main method used to assess portal pressure. Recently, platelet blood levels has been indicated as a non-invasive marker of the presence of portal hypertension.

To correlate platelet blood levels with the hepatic venous pressure gradient among patients with cirrhosis.

A total of 83 cirrhotic patients who had undergone hepatic venous pressure gradient over the last 6 years were included. Patients were divided in groups according to Child-Pugh classification. All had upper digestive endoscopy to assess the presence of esophageal varices and platelet serum levels were recorded.

Platelet serum levels range varied between 45,000/mm(3) and 389,000/mm(3) (mean: 104,099; standard deviation: 58,776). Mean hepatic venous pressure gradient was 15.2 mm Hg with a standard deviation of 6.4 mm Hg (range: 1 to 29 mm Hg). Simple linear regression analysis was applied to verify an association of hepatic venous pressure gradient and platelet serum levels, revealing a weak correlation between both variables. We observed a progressive reduction of serum platelet levels as esophageal varices diameter increased and hepatocellular function (established by Child-Pugh classification) decreased. However, these findings did not reach statistical significance.

Despite the lack of a statistical significant correlation among serum platelet levels and hepatic venous pressure gradient or hepatocellular function, there was a clear tendency indicating that those variables could be involved in the pathogenesis of low platelet levels.