Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Patients-The Relationship with Platelets...

Background and Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is an important chronic liver disease with major health risks, especially in the presence of T2DM, but the pathophysiology of this condition is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the platelet hematometric indices in patients with T2DM and MASLD. Materials and Methods: Demographic and medical (including anthropometric) data were collected from 271 participants, from whom blood samples were also drawn in fasting conditions for complete blood count, liver and metabolic panel, ferritin, haptoglobin, creatinine, and fibrosis markers. The correlations of main platelet parameters with clinical and laboratory data were investigated by bivariate and multiple regression analyses. Results: The median platelets number was 235·10³/μL, and thus, the study population was divided into two subgroups: with higher and lower numbers (group 1 (mean): 286.38 ± 43.29·10³/μL and group 2 (mean): 188.12 ± 39.77·10³/μL). Despite similar BMIs, group 2 had higher fatty liver index (FLI) (84.44 ± 18.04 vs. 79.85 ± 17.98; p = 0.0088) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR: 3.16 ± 1.50 vs. 2.63 ± 1.31; 0.0008), higher direct bilirubin, transaminases, uric acid, and ferritin concentrations. Higher percentages of males and subjects with HOMA-IR values >2.5 were accounted for in this group. In the multiple regression analyses, the platelet count and plateletcrit (PTC) correlated independently with sex, leucocyte count, HOMA-IR, and bilirubin concentrations (p < 0.0001). The platelet distribution width (PDW) was positively correlated with insulin resistance in two separate analyses (β = 0.060; p = 0.0004, and β = 0.052; p = 0.0025), and with GGT, while the mean platelet volume presented a weak but significant positive association with FLI. Patients with higher HOMA-IR had higher PDW and a lower platelet count and PTC. Conclusions: Male patients with T2DM and MASLD had lower platelet count and PTC and larger PDW. Higher insulin resistance was associated with lower platelet count and PTC and higher PDW.