title: Thrombocytemia as a predictor of portal hypertension in schistosomiasis.
abstract: Sufferers of schistosomiasis mansoni can evolve a clinical form of the disease associated with portal hypertension. To differentiate this form, routine clinical tests and biological indices were evaluated. In all, 54 HBsAg- and HCV-negative patients were studied, 42 with schistosomiasis and 12 normal volunteers. Using clinical criteria, ultrasonography, and endoscopy, the schistosomiasis patients were classified into two groups: mild chronic form (MS, N = 14) and chronic form associated with portal hypertension (PH, N = 28). The laboratory parameters of the MS group did not differ from the controls. The PH group differed from the others in prothrombin index, thrombocytemia, gamma-glutamyltransferase, serum alpha2-macroglobulin, and the calculated indices. ROC plot cutoff levels verified that isolated thrombocytemia was the most efficient marker for discrimination of the PH and MS forms. Thrombocytemia of 130 x 10(9) platelets/liter discriminated the groups with an 86% accuracy when all patients were analyzed and 96% when only schistosomiasis patients who did not consume alcohol were included.
authors: Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: M R
authors: MR
authors: Souza
authors: C F
authors: CF
authors: Toledo
authors: D R
authors: DR
authors: Borges
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000175:diagnosis*