Predictivity of mean platelet volume in severe preeclamptic women

To evaluate the predictive and clinical utilization of the mean platelet volume (MPV) in severe preeclamptic women. MPV is known as platelet size and associated with platelet activation or new platelet synthesis. Platelet count is decreased by vascular endothelial damage in cases of severe preeclampsia. It leads to increased turnover of platelets.

The severe preeclamptic women with and without preeclampsia during pregnancy were divided into subgroups depending on the gestational birth week early, (<34), late (34-37) preterm birth and term (≥37) gestational weeks. Their MPV was measured 24 hours prior to birth and compared with all subgroups according to the gestational week.

The study subgroups were performed from early (n = 87), late (n = 48) preterm and term (n = 76) birth with severe preeclampsia, whereas early (n = 69), late (n = 63) and term (n = 228) without gestational hypertensive disorders were recruited in the control subgroups. The MPV of the early, late preterm and term preeclamptic subgroups was statistically higher than that of the control subgroups (9.4 ± 1.3fL vs 8.6 ± 1.2 fL, p < 0.001; 9.5 ± 1.0 fL vs 8.5 ± 0.9 fL, p < 0.001 and 10.2 ± 1.1 fL vs 8.9 ± 1.2 fL, p < 0.001), whereas the mean platelet count of all the study subgroups was significantly lower (237.3 ± 81.3 × 10⁹ /L, 270.0 ± 83.9 × 10⁹/L, p = 0.015; 232.3 ± 80.1 × 10⁹/L vs 268.8 ± 92.7 × 10⁹/L, p < 0.001 and 221.8 ± 70.3.9 × 10⁹/L vs 232.9 ± 82.3 × 10⁹/L, p = 0.03). The sensitivity and specificity of the cut-off MPV for all the subgroups were each less than 80%.

The MPV may be a predictive marker of severe preeclampsia.