Role of mean platelet volume in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background and objective Stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation as demonstrated by an increase in blood leukocytes, acute-phase proteins such as C-reactive protein, and inflammatory cytokines. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is one of the platelet (PLT) function indexes. It reflects the PLT production rate and stimulation. The changes in MPV during an exacerbation of COPD versus stable COPD have not been clearly examined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate MPV in participants during their stable phase and during an exacerbation of COPD. Patients and methods This study included a total of 80 COPD patients: group A included 40 patients in the stable state and group B included the remaining 40 who were admitted for exacerbation of COPD, who were followed-up for 6 weeks after recovery, and were matched with 40 healthy, nonsmoking controls. All patients underwent spirometry, laboratory investigations with respect to complete blood count, PLT count and MPV, and echocardiography. Results MPV revealed a highly significant decrease within the exacerbated patient group than stable ones who had lower levels of MPV than the control volunteers. There was a highly significant increase in MPV during the stable follow-up visit than during exacerbation for the same included group of patients. There was a significant positive correlation between MPV and grade of severity of COPD; 60% of the stable COPD patients were found to have pulmonary arterial hypertension by echocardiography. There was a significantly higher MPV among patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) than those without PH. Although PLT count increased with increased severity of PH, it did not reach significance, and there was a significant increase in MPV with increased severity of PH. Conclusion MPV is a quick and reliable tool for the assessment of inflammatory response. PLT activation is an important prothrombotic manifestation of COPD, which may be a useful therapeutic target.