Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: January 26, 2024
COVID-19 in Pregnancy: Implication on Platelets and Blood Indices
Wassan Nori1, Ban Hadi Hameed1, Asmaa Rajih Thamir2
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq.
Objective:
To describe the hematological changes, the platelet indices in particular, in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to healthy pregnant women.
Methods:
A retrospective case-control study conducted at the Al Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, in Baghdad, Iraq, involving 100 pregnant women, 50 with positive viral DNA for COVID-19 (case group), and 50 with negative results (control group); both groups were subjected to a thorough hematological evaluation.
Results:
Among the main hematological variables analyzed, the platelet indices, namely the mean platelet volume (MPV) and the platelet distribution width (PDW), showed statistically significant differences (MPV: 10.87 ± 66.92 fL for the case group versus 9.84 ± 1.2 fL for the control group; PDW: 14.82 ± 3.18 fL for the case group versus 13.3 ± 2.16 fL for the controls). The criterion value of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for PDW at a cutoff point of > 11.8 fL showed a weak diagnostic marker, while the MPV at a cutoff value of > 10.17 fL showed a good diagnostic marker.
Conclusion:
The MPV and PDW are significantly affected by the this viral infection, even in asymptomatic confirmed cases, and we recommend that both parameters be included in the diagnostic panel of this infection.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Formation of the Platelet Plug
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
Disorders of Hemostasis
Thromboembolic Disorders
Two factors primarily cause thromboembolic conditions.
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Structure and Function of Platelets
Platelets are continually replenished, circulating in the bloodstream for 9-12 days before being removed by phagocytes, primarily in the spleen. A microliter of circulating blood contains between 150,000 and 450,000...

