title: Prognostic role of mean platelet volume in patients with cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies carried out in patients with chronic hepatitis have shown that mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with worse disease stage, although the role of MPV in patients with cirrhosis is less clear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between MPV values and clinical characteristics and stage of cirrhosis, and to assess its prognostic role.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 75 patients with cirrhosis and assessed the association between MPV values and cirrhosis characteristics, prognostic scores, and survival. The prognostic role of longitudinal variations of MPV was also assessed in 50 patients who had at least 12 months follow-up and who had MPV determination at 3-monhtly intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median MPV values were not statistically different according to aetiology of liver disease (P=0.485) and disease severity both taking into consideration the Child-Pugh classification (P=0.438) and the Model for End-stage Liver Disease score (P=0.978). Median MPV values were not significantly different in 23 Child-Pugh class C patients who died or survived (9.15fL versus 9.10fL, P=0.794) during a 12-month follow-up. Lastly, there was no significant modification of MPV over time at the various study time-points (3-month, 6-month, 9-month, 12-month) between patients who died and those who survived.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with cirrhosis, MPV has no association with severity of disease and prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS-Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: egiannini@unige.it.
authors.forename: Edoardo G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS-Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moscatelli
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS-Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunacci
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS-Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zentilin
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS-Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savarino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D063847:Mean Platelet Volume; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications*
keywords: Chronic liver disease; MELD score; Survival; Thrombocytopenia