title: Mean Platelet Volume in Heterozygous Beta Thalassaemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is not known why cerebrovascular and cardiovascular ischaemic events are less frequently observed in heterozygous beta thalassaemia (HBT) patients than in the general population. However, we previously reported that serum levels of some platelet function markers, i.e. soluble CD40 ligand and soluble P-selectin, are lower in patients with HBT than in controls. A high mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of in vivo platelet activation and may indicate a tendency to thrombosis. We investigated whether MPV is lower in HBT patients than in controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight patients with HBT were compared with 51 controls matched for gender, age, and BMI for MPV in a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MPV was within the normal range and higher in the HBT group (9.64 ± 1.20 vs. 9.07 ± 082 fL, p = 0.006). The 2 groups were similar in terms of atherosclerosis risk factors and medications. After linear regression analysis, the MPV was correlated with HBT, sensitive CRP, and BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher MPV in patients with HBT could indicate platelet activation, and this may represent a dilemma. Higher MPV in the HBT group might have resulted from higher sympathetic nervous system activity, mild ineffective erythropoiesis, and haemolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cikrikcioglu
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Iskender
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ekinci
authors.forename: Muharrem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasifov
authors.forename: Aybala Erek
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Toprak
authors.forename: Guven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Genc
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D063847:Mean Platelet Volume; D008875:Middle Aged; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019007:P-Selectin; D023201:CD40 Ligand