[Platelet volume: comparative study of 2 populations of Greek and French origin]

The number and the volume of blood platelets in 306 normal adult persons of Greek origin were studied in Greece and compared with the corresponding values of 50 normal French adults. These controls were blood donors in the blood bank of the hospital "Necker-Enfants Malades" in Paris. In both phases of the study the same methods and techniques were used by one of the authors. The number of platelets of the Greek subjects (X1) was higher compared to those of the control population (X2) and this difference is statistically significant (means 1 = 295,970/microliters +/- 87,120, means 2 = 267,800/microliters +/- 63,700, P less than 0.05). The platelet volume was only slightly elevated in the Greek population compared to the French population, but this difference is not statistically significant (means 1 = 6.99 mu 3 +/- 2.49, means 2 = 6.59 mu 3 +/- 1.78, P less than 0.1). Our findings in the Greek population are different from those observed by Von Behrens (1975) on Mediterranean immigrants in Australia. Our values in the control population are similar to those of Paulus (1974), but differ from Von Behrens' data in North European subjects. Another observation of this study, is that sex and age (excluding youths) seems to have no influence on platelet volume, but platelet count in men is slightly affected by age.