Role of mean platelet volume in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis during pregnancy
Abstract Purpose Hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) during pregnancy 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-AP during pregnancy remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the role of MPV and the potential relationship with disease severity in HTG-AP during pregnancy. Methods In the retrospective study, we collected 45 patients with HTG-AP during pregnancy as the HTG-AP 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 levels were significantly higher in the HTG-AP 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). Conclusion These results may indicate an important role of MPV in evaluating the severity of HTG-AP during pregnancy.