title: Is Mean Platelet Volume a Reliable Marker to Predict Ischemic Stroke in the Follow-Up of Patients with Carotid Stenosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the study is to evaluate the reliability of mean platelet volume (MPV) for predicting ischemic stroke (cerebrovascular event [CVE]) among patients with different degrees of carotid stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two patients with CVEs, 136 patients with carotid artery disease (CAD), and 40 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. All participants were divided into the following groups according to CAD: absence of stenosis, less than 50% stenosis, 50%-69% stenosis, and 70% or more to total occlusion of the internal carotid artery. For each participant, the parameters of CAD were assessed using ultrasonography. To obtain the values of CRP and MPV and the leukocyte and platelet counts, all samples were processed within 30 minutes after blood collection. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the association between the values of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and MPV and carotid stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In terms of age and gender, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (P = .094 and P = .428, respectively). However, CRP values in patients with CAD and CVEs were significantly higher than those in the controls (P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between the CRP values in patients with CAD and CVEs (P = .249). Moreover, the MPV values did not show any significant difference between the groups (P = .053) and among the patients with CAD (P = .64). There was no positive correlation between serum CRP and MPV values in patients with CAD regarding the degree of carotid stenosis (r = .061, P = .477).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study claim that MPV has no predictive value during follow-up of the patients with CAD for CVEs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey. Electronic address: ilkeroz@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ibrahim Ilker
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Oz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ahi Evren Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yucel
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muammer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilici
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: İsmail
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Şerifoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Raşit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sayın
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevil Uygun
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Ilikhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acıkgoz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063847:Mean Platelet Volume; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: C-reactive protein; Mean platelet volume; carotid stenosis; stroke