Predictive Significance of Mean Platelet Volume and Platelet Distribution Width Level in Immune Thrombocytopenia Patients Treated With Steroids

Background: Immune thrombocytopenia is an acquired thrombocytopenia caused by autoantibodies against platelet antigens. Immune thrombocytopenia is usually observed more common in famale. Many patients with Immune thrombocytopenia are asymptomatic. Those with symptoms are primarily related to thrombocytopenia and bleeding, but patients may also experience fatigue and reduced quality of life. The purpose of treatment in an Immune thrombocytopenia patient is not to normalize the platelet count, but to treat or prevent bleeding. For this purpose, steroids are an important part of the treatment in the first place. In our study, pretreatment hemogram parameters, especially Mean Corpuscular Volume and platelet distribution width values, were investigated in patients with immune thrombocytopenia, whether they were predictive values for immune thrombocytopenia.

Materials and Methods: Hemogram parameters of 222 Immune thrombocytopenia patients who received steroids as first line therapy were retrospectively scanned.

Results: A statistically significant difference was determined between the first and last measurements in terms of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volüme, white blood cell, neutrophil and platelet variables. There is an increase in hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volüme, white blood cell, neutrophil and platelet values after the procedure (ie at the last measurement) compared to the first measurement. It can be said that there is a very high level of positive correlation between neutrophil and white blood cell. After the treatment a negative correlation was detected between platelet value and mean platelet volüme, platelet distribution width values. According to the results of the correlation analysis before the treatment, a positive corr elation was found between the platelet value and the mean platelet volüme value. While there is a positive correlation between platelet and mean platelet volüme values before the treatment, it is seen that there is a negative correlation between these values after the treatment

Conclusion: It has been concluded that mean platelet volüme and platelet distribution width values cannot be used as a predictive value in the response of disease before steroid treatment in Immune thrombocytopenia patients.