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Relationship between hypertensive disease stages of pregnancy and plateletcrit values: A retrospective cohort study
Mustafa Can Sivas1, Reyhan Aslancan1, Taha Yasin Bayram1
1Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health, Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Insights
Plateletcrit (PCT) levels did not significantly differ across hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia. This suggests PCT may not be a reliable marker for diagnosing or predicting severe preeclampsia when platelet counts are normal.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Hematology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, are significant causes of maternal and fetal morbidity.
- Plateletcrit (PCT), a measure of the volume of platelets, is being investigated as a potential biomarker in various conditions.
- The role of PCT in the different stages of hypertensive diseases of pregnancy requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between plateletcrit (PCT) and the stages of hypertensive disease of pregnancy.
- To compare PCT values in healthy pregnancies, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia with proteinuria, and severe preeclampsia with proteinuria.
- To assess the effect of proteinuria on PCT values in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study included 144 patients, divided into four groups: healthy pregnancies (n=36), gestational hypertension (n=36), preeclampsia with proteinuria (n=36), and severe preeclampsia with proteinuria (n=36).
- Blood samples were analyzed for PCT and platelet counts immediately after hospitalization and in early pregnancy.
- Statistical comparisons were made among the groups for age, gravidity, parity, platelet counts, and PCT values.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found in age, gravidity, or parity among the four groups.
- Mean platelet counts ranged from 219,250/mm³ to 241,310/mm³ across the groups, with no significant differences observed.
- Neither platelet counts nor PCT values showed significant differences among the groups, irrespective of proteinuria. Proteinuria did not appear to affect PCT values.
Conclusions:
- Plateletcrit (PCT) may not be a suitable diagnostic or predictive tool for severe preeclampsia, especially when platelet counts are not decreased.
- A normal PCT value should not be interpreted as ruling out the progression to severe preeclampsia.
- Future research should consider platelet counts and early pregnancy data in studies involving PCT and preeclampsia.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between plateletcrit (PCT) and stages of hypertensive disease of pregnancy by comparing values in groups with healthy pregnancies, gestational hypertension [GHT], preeclampsia with proteinuria [PE + P] and severe preeclampsia with proteinuria [sPE + P]. The secondary aim was to investigate how proteinuria affects PCT values in these patients.
Materials And Methods:
This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who had been hospitalized for labor were included in the study. The following groups were created: healthy pregnancies (n = 36), [GHT] (n = 36), [PE + P] (n = 36) and [sPE + P] (n = 36). PCT and platelet values from blood tests performed immediately after hospitalization were compared among the four groups. Additionally, the PCT and platelet values in the early pregnancy period of same patients were determined and compared.
Results:
There were no statistically significant differences among the groups in terms of age, gravidity or parity (p > 0.05). The mean platelet counts of the groups ranged from 219,250/mm3 to 241,310/mm3. There were no significant differences among the groups (with or without proteinuria) in terms of the platelet counts or PCT values (p > 0.05). A reducing or enhancing effect of proteinuria on the PCT value was not observed. Additionally, based on data from the early weeks of pregnancy, there were no significant differences among the groups in terms of the platelet counts or PCT values (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
PCT may not be appropriate to use for the diagnosis or prediction of sPE in patients whose platelet counts have not decreased. A normal PCT value should not be interpreted as the absence of progression to sPE. There is a need for new PCT and PE studies that take platelet counts into account and include women in the early weeks of pregnancy.
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