Changes in platelet parameters and their influential factors in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To analyze the changes in platelet parameters and their influential factors in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) . Methods The clinical data of 602 cirrhotic patients with HCC who were admitted to the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2011 to December 2012, as well as 200 cirrhotic patients hospitalized during the same period, were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 19. 0. Normally distributed continuous data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation; comparison between two groups was made by t test, and comparison between multiple groups was made by analysis of variance. Non- normally distributed data were expressed as median and interquartile range ( P25- P75) ; comparison between groups was made by rank sum test. Results Compared with the cirrhotic group, the HCC group had significantly higher platelet count ( PLT) and plateletcrit ( PCT) ( t = 5. 019, P = 0. 000;t = 5. 017, P = 0. 000) and a significantly lower mean platelet volume ( MPV) /PLT ( t = 5. 877, P = 0. 000) ; there were no significant differences in MPV and platelet distribution width between the two groups ( t =- 0. 942, P = 0. 347; t =- 1. 040, P = 0. 298) . The receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve was 0. 636 for PLT, 0. 633 for PCT, and 0. 639 for MPV /PLT in the diagnosis of HCC in cirrhotic patients. Decreases in PLT and PCT were closely related to hepatitis C virus ( HCV) infection. Patients with Child- Pugh class A cirrhosis had significantly higher PLT and PCT than those with Child- Pugh class B and C cirrhosis ( P <0.01) ; patients with a maximum tumor diameter of ≥5 cm had significantly higher PLT and PCT than those with maximum tumor diameters of 2- 5 cm and ≤2 cm ( P < 0. 01) . Patients with Child- Pugh class A cirrhosis had a significantly lower MPV /PLT than those with Child- Pugh class B and C cirrhosis ( P < 0. 01) ; patients with a maximum tumor diameter of ≥5 cm had a significantly lower MPV /PLT than those with maximum tumor diameters of 2- 5 cm and ≤2 cm ( P < 0. 01) . Conclusion PLT, PCT, and MPV /PLT can be used in the auxiliary diagnosis of HCC in cirrhotic patients, which are related to HCV, Child- Pugh classification, and tumor size.