title: Thrombocytopenia in patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic hepatitis: evaluation of the immature platelet fraction.
abstract: The immature platelet fraction (IPF) measures the number of reticulated platelets in peripheral blood, and can be used to help determine if thrombocytopenia is secondary to low-platelet production or increased platelet turnover. The aim of this study was to determine whether abnormalities in the IPF were associated with thrombocytopenia in patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic hepatitis (CHB). One hundred fifty-six patients with chronic hepatitis B, including 80 thrombocytopenia, 76 without thrombocytopenia, and 48 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The IPF percentages (IPF%) were measured using a XE-2100 multiparameter automatic hematology analyzer. We demonstrated that in the thrombocytopenic group, the IPF% was significantly increased compared with that in healthy controls and the non-thrombocytopenic group (both p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that IPF%, splenomegaly, and the model for end-stage liver disease score were independent predictors for thrombocytopenia (both p < 0.001). High IPF% during the course of thrombocytopenia suggests that platelet destruction/sequestration due to hypersplenism is a major factor contributing to thrombocytopenia in patients with CHB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Zhejiang 310003 , China .
authors.forename: JiuFeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: YuFeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: JianPing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuanqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; immature platelet fraction; splenomegaly; thrombocytopenia