Elevated mean platelet volume to platelet ratio predicts advanced fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Hematology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant global health concern, often leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Complete blood count parameters are emerging as valuable indicators for various clinical conditions.
• Identifying non-invasive markers for liver fibrosis is crucial for managing HCV patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive role of hemogram parameters in identifying advanced liver fibrosis among patients with chronic HCV infection.
• To evaluate the efficacy of specific complete blood count indices in differentiating mild from advanced fibrosis.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 81 chronic HCV patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy between 2011 and 2019.
• Liver biopsies were staged using the Ishak method, classifying patients into mild (F ≤ 2) and advanced (F ≥ 3) fibrosis groups.
• Comparison of hemogram parameters, including mean platelet volume (MPV), MPV/lymphocyte ratio, MPV/platelet ratio, and red cell distribution width/platelet ratio, between the two fibrosis groups.

Main Results:

• Patients with advanced fibrosis (n=43) exhibited significantly higher mean platelet volume, MPV/lymphocyte ratio, MPV/platelet ratio, and red cell distribution width/platelet ratio compared to those with mild fibrosis (n=38) (P < 0.05).
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified the MPV/platelet ratio as having the largest area under the curve for predicting advanced fibrosis.

Conclusions:

• The mean platelet volume to platelet ratio demonstrates potential as an easily accessible and practical biomarker for preliminary assessment of advanced liver fibrosis in chronic HCV patients.
• This finding may facilitate earlier risk stratification and management strategies for HCV-related liver disease.