Background: A high level of mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with platelet activation, which occurs in chronic inflammatory disease. Several studies have demonstrated that a high MPV is associated with chronic viral hepatitis and hepatic fibrosis. However, the role of MPV in patients with cirrhosis is unclear.
Objectives: To evaluate the MPV in patients with cirrhosis, and to compare the MPV between viral hepatitis and non-viral hepatitis groups. Moreover, the correlation of MPV and factors was also explored.
Materials and Methods: The medical records of 420 cirrhosis outpatients from 2010 to 2017 at Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical center were reviewed and analyzed as a retrospective study. The MPV was expressed as mean±SD. The correlation between MPV values and cirrhosis parameters including mortality outcomes were evaluated.
Results: According to retrospective data, the mean age was 56.23 (SD 12.77). Two-hundred and ninety-two patients were males (69.5%), and one-hundred and twenty-eight patients were females (30.5%). Child-Pugh scores A, B, and C were found in 286 (68.1%), 132 (31.4%), and 2 (0.5%) cases, respectively. There was a significant difference of MPV between the group of viral hepatitis and non-viral hepatitis cirrhosis (10.79±1.05 vs. 10.54±1.00; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.45), respectively. The median time of follow-up in this study was 40.06 months (range, 0.07 to 121.41). The mortality rate was 18.3%. Elevated MPV was found inversely correlated with albumin and platelet counts, and positive correlation with levels of prothrombin time, and INR in all causes of cirrhosis especially chronic viral hepatitis. However, there was no correlation of MPV and long-term mortality outcomes in all causes of cirrhosis (r=-0.066, 95% CI -0.165 to 0.035) and viral hepatitis causes (r=-0.035, 95% CI -0.158 to 0.095).
Conclusion: The difference of MPV between viral hepatitis and non-viral hepatitis groups causing liver cirrhosis was identified in our study. The MPV was not correlated with long-term mortality outcomes in cirrhotic patients.

Keywords: Platelet volume; Liver cirrhosis; Viral hepatitis; Mortality