Platelet Parameters as an Indicator of Preeclampsia: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a significant global cause of maternal mortality and neonatal morbidity, characterized by proteinuria and gestational hypertension. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the diagnostic significance of platelet indices such as platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and PC to MPV ratio (PLM) in PE patients. Methods: Severe preeclampsia (sPE; n = 23), mild preeclampsia (mPE; n = 16), HELLP syndrome (n = 11), and healthy controls (n = 50) comprised the four groups that were assessed. The same automated blood cell count was used to obtain platelet characteristics. The analysis of variance, t-test, and receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) curve were used for statistical analysis. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The MPV, PDW, and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) were significantly decreased in the case group, but red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), PC, PLR, and PLM were significantly higher. In addition, PLR was shown to be lower in mPE compared to sPE. Conclusions: The PC, PLR, and PLM area under the curves (AUCs) were considered normal. We may thus suggest that patients who have cut-off values for these measurements be carefully monitored for the onset of PE. Platelet indices may assist in the early detection and risk stratification of PE. Incorporating them into routine prenatal tests could support timely clinical decision-making.