Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Differential thyroid cancer (DTC) is classified into papillary, follicular and papillary micro thyroid cancer. Also, mean platelet volume (MPV) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate MPV values in DTC patients.

Materials and methods: The levels of MPV were assessed in 183 patients with DTC 44 papillary thyroid cancer (mean age 43.±13.9) 34 papillary micro thyroid cancer (mean age 43.1±10.6), 28 follicular cancer (mean age 46.9±12.5) and 77 control subjects (mean age 47.5±5.9). Patient group and the control group were matched for age, BMI. None of the study subject had hypertension, radiotherapy and dyslipidemia. All the study subjects were investigated by platelet and biochemical parameters.

Results: Serum MPV levels were found to be increased in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) (8.87±0.99), papillary micro thyroid cancer (PmTC) (8.82±1.39) and follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) (8.69±0.76) patients than in the control group (P=0.000, P=0.000 and P=0.001, respectively). It was similar between the three groups. The MPV levels were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein (r=0.247; P=0.043), waist circumference (r=0.195; P=0.261), thyroglobuline (r=0.246; P=0.03), gamma glutamyl transferase (r=0.024; P=0.762), tumor size (r=0.209; P=0.047) and RDW (r=0.207; P=0.005) which cardiac risk factors. The multiple regression analysis of MPV and other risk factors was performed. Age, CRP, gender, total cholesterol, were independent predictive factors of MPV. Adjustment for other these factors did not alter these relative risks.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that patients with DTC have higher MPV levels even than healty controls. As higher MPV levels are close related with cardiovasculer diseases DTC patients have greater risk of atherothrombotic complications than controls. Furthermore our study suggest that MPV might be a good follow criterium in DTC patients because of its positive correlation with the tumor size and thyroglobulin

Keywords: mean platelet volume, papillary micro thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular thyroid cancer, cardiovascular risk