Role of mean platelet volume in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis during pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis during pregnancy (HTG-APP) is a rare but severe disease with high maternal-fetal mortality risk, which constitutes a systemic inflammatory process accompanied by thrombosis and bleeding disorders. However, the role of mean platelet volume (MPV) in HTG-APP remains unclear.

Methods: In the retrospective study, we collected 45 patients with HTG-APP as the HTG-APP group and 49 pregnant females with hypertriglyceridemia as the control group. MPV and other relevant variables at onset and remission were collected and compared.

Results: MPV were significantly higher in the HTG-APP group than in the control group (P < 0.001), and lower in remission than on onset (P = 0.002). According to the severity of acute pancreatitis, all subjects were classified into mild AP (MAP), moderately severe AP (MSAP), and severe AP (SAP) groups. There was a significant difference in MPV on onset among the three groups (P = 0.048), and the SAP patients had the highest levels of MPV. In addition, only in the SAP group, MPV was lower in remission than on onset (P = 0.010). Logistic regression analyses revealed that MPV was significantly associated with SAP (odds ratio = 2.077, 95% confdence interval, 1.038-4.154; P = 0.039).

Conclusions: These results may indicate an important role of mean platelet volume in evaluating the severity of HTG-APP.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis; Mean platelet volume; Pregnancy; Severity.

Fig. 1

MPV levels of the patients with HTG-APP(at onset and remission) and healthy controls. *P < 0.05, Onset versus Control; **P < 0.05, Onset versus Remission

Fig. 2

MPV levels of the patients with MAP, MSAP and SAP. *P < 0.05, Onset versus Remission.; **P < 0.05, Onset versus Remission