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Published on: March 24, 2023
Mean platelet volume in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Hakan Ozhan1, Mesut Aydin, Mehmet Yazici
1Düzce Medical School Department of Cardiology, Duzce University, 81620 Konuralp, Düzce, Turkey. ozhanhakan@yahoo.com
Insights
Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exhibit higher mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation. This finding suggests a potential link between NAFLD and increased cardiovascular disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hepatology
- Hematology
Background:
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects up to one-third of the population, often coexisting with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors.
- Mean platelet volume (MPV) reflects platelet activation, a key process in coronary heart disease pathophysiology.
- Platelet activation and aggregation are central to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate mean platelet volume (MPV) levels in patients diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
- To compare MPV values between NAFLD patients and individuals without fatty liver disease.
- To determine if NAFLD is an independent predictor of elevated MPV.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of MPV between NAFLD patients and a control group without fatty liver disease.
- Assessment of biochemical variables including fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, AST, ALT, platelet count, and creatinine.
- Logistic regression analysis incorporating age, gender, NAFLD status, BMI, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose.
Main Results:
- NAFLD patients had significantly higher body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and triglycerides compared to controls.
- NAFLD patients exhibited lower platelet counts and significantly higher MPV (10.43 ± 1.14) versus controls (9.09 ± 1.25; p < 0.001).
- NAFLD was identified as an independent predictor of higher MPV (OR 21.98; p = 0.006) after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusions:
- This study demonstrates for the first time that patients with NAFLD have elevated mean platelet volume (MPV).
- Higher MPV in NAFLD patients may indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- MPV could serve as a prognostic marker for cardiovascular risk in individuals with NAFLD.
Abstract:
Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation. Platelet activation and aggregation are central processes in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is present up to one-third of the general population and the majority of patients with cardio-metabolic risk factors such as abdominal obesity, type 2 diabetes and other components of the metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of the current study was to investigate the MPV in patients who had NAFLD. MPV values of the patients with NAFLD and of the patients without fatty liver disease were compared. NAFLD patients had significantly higher body mass index compared to the control cases. Among biochemical variables, fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride were significantly higher in the NAFLD group. NAFLD cases also had lower platelet count and higher MPV (10.43 +/- 1.14 vs. 9.09 +/- 1.25; p < 0.001, respectively). MPV was positively correlated with AST (r: 0.186, p < 0.042), ALT level (r: 0.279; p 0.002) and the presence of NAFLD (0.492; p < 0.001) but negatively correlated with platelet number (r: -0.26; p 0.004) and creatinine (r: -0.255; p 0.005). In logistic regression analysis (age, gender, NAFLD, body mass index, high-density lipid (HDL) cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride and fasting plasma glucose were used as covariates) only NAFLD was found to be the independent predictor of MPV (Odds Ratio (OR) 21.98) [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.404-201.048; p: 0.006]. We have shown for the first time in the literature that, patients with NAFLD have higher MPV. It may have prognostic value in NAFLD patients indicating a possible cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk increase.
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