Mean platelet volume: Association with adverse neonatal outcome

The aim of the study was to investigate on a possible association between maternal mean platelet volume (MPV) and oxygen-metabolic changes in pregnancies affected by altered maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry. We considered the altered maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry group (n = 57) pregnant women admitted to our Institution for a pregnancy complication associated to the event Pre-eclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), with altered Doppler velocimetry in the umbilical artery (UA) (high pulsatility index, absence or reverse end diastolic flow (ARED), blood flow cephalisation) and/or bilateral increased resistance in uterine arteries. Out of these cases, 25 pregnancies were complicated by PE and 32 pregnancies were complicated by IUGR. We included 145 normotensive third trimester pregnant women as a normal maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry control group. From all women, 20 ml of whole venous blood was obtained from the antecubital vein soon after Doppler velocimetry evaluation. MPV was significantly higher in women with abnormal Doppler velocimetry compared to those with normal Doppler velocimetry (8.0 fl [7.0-8.7] vs. 9.1 fl [8.0-10.6], 50.001. Values are median [interquartiles]). We performed a ROC curve in order to find an MPV cut-off able to predict an uneventful event in Doppler velocimetry compromised fetuses (neonatal O-2 support > 48 hrs or intubation and/or pH < 7.2 at umbilical blood gas analysis (UBGA)). An MPV >= 10 fl was significantly related to the former diagnostic endpoints compared to that of non-compromised fetuses (sensitivity: 45%, specificity: 89.7%, 95 CI: 18.8-66, p < 0.01). Our study suggests that pregnancies affected by Doppler velocimetry alterations, an MPV value >= 10 fl may be associated with severe oxygen support and/or low UA ph at birth.