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Updated: May 5, 2026
Analyzing Platelet Subpopulations by Multi-color Flow Cytometry
Published on: June 10, 2025
Human platelet antigen-3 genotype predicts platelet count in patients with HCV infection
Ivan Gentile1, Mariangela Meola, Antonio Riccardo Buonomo
1Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Section of Infectious Diseases, Federico II University of Naples, via S. Pansini 5, I-80131 Naples, Italy. ivan.gentile@unina.it.
Background/Aim:
A low platelet count is one of the most sensitive tests for cirrhosis detection in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We evaluated whether the human platelet antigen (HPA) genotype could predict platelet count in HCV-positive patients.
Materials And Methods:
We genotyped the HPA 1, 2, 3, 5 and 15 polymorphisms in consecutive patients with HCV infection.
Results:
Out of the 56 patients enrolled, 56.1% had liver cirrhosis. The mean platelet count was significantly lower in those with HPA1aa genotype than in those with HPA1ab/bb genotype. Platelet count did not differ among the other HPA polymorphisms. However, at logistic regression analysis, only the HPA3aa genotype and liver cirrhosis were independent predictors of a low platelet count.
Conclusion:
HPA3aa is an independent factor for a low platelet count in this cohort of patients with HCV chronic infection regardless of disease stage.
