Mean Platelet Volume in Neonatal Sepsis

Background The aim of this study was to investigate any changes in mean platelet volume (MPV) in patients with neonatal sepsis (NS). Methods Subjects were stratified into two groups: proven sepsis (Group 1a) and clinical sepsis (Group 1b). The control group (Group 2) consisted of healthy newborns matched for gestational age and birth weight. Results A total of 100 patients with NS (35 with proven sepsis and 65 with clinical sepsis) and 50 healthy controls were enrolled. A comparison of markers of sepsis obtained at baseline revealed white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and MPV levels to be significantly higher in newborns with sepsis compared to healthy controls (P = 0.01, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Mean baseline serum levels of CRP and MPV were significantly higher in Group 1a compared to Group 1b (P = 0.003, P = 0.007, respectively), whereas the difference between group with regards to baseline serum levels of IL-6 and platelet count was statistically insignificant (P = 0.14, P = 0.28, respectively). Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate a statistically significant difference with regard to baseline MPV values between patients with sepsis (proven or clinical) and healthy controls. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 26:493-496, 2012. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.