Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Most diabetic patients suffer from vascular thrombotic complications. Alterations in platelet size are associated with atherosclerotic complications in patients with diabetes. The aim of study is to determine the relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV) and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients.

Materials and methods: Seventy-nine type 2 diabetic patients (mean age 51.0±10.8 years and BMI 31.0±5.5 kg/m²), and 67 healthy control subjects (mean age 48.8±12.0 years and BMI 30.3±7.3 kg/m²) included in this study. All study group was matched according to age and BMI. Complete blood count analysis was performed by the automatic hematology analyzer Beckman Coulter LH 750 (Beckman Coulter, USA). The platelet count (PC) and MPV were measured. Chronic microvascular complications in diabetic group were researched. Neurological evaluation, fundus examination, and electromyelogrophy were performed. Spot urinary protein levels, HbA1c, C reactive protein, and fibrinogen levels were measured in all study groups. Patients were separated into sub-groups according to nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. MPV level were analysed again in all sub-groups.

Results: Fourty-four (34.7%) patients had diabetic neuropathy, 33 (26.0%) patients had diabetic neuropathy, and 13 (10.2%) patients had diabetic retinopathy in diabetic group. We determined that mean MPV levels in diabetic group was significantly different from control group (8.6±0.8 and 7.9±0.8 fl, P<0.001 respectively). However, no statistically significant differences were found between PC, CRP, and fibrinogen levels. In subgroup analysis, we demonstrated that mean MPV levels in diabetic nephropathy (P=0.007) and diabetic neuropathy groups (P=0.04) were higher than control subjects.

Conclusions: In our study, MPV level in diabetic patients with nephropathy and neuropathy is more increase than healthy subjects. Elevated MPV levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may associate with increased cardiovascular complication risk. MPV level can be used as simple accessible parameter to presumption the thrombotic events in diabetic patients.