Mean platelet volume and platelet to lymphocyte ratio were significantly associated with high-lethality suicide attempts compared to low-lethality attempts and controls.
Case-Control (n=423)
No
Are complete blood count parameters (such as mean platelet volume and platelet to lymphocyte ratio) associated with the lethality of suicide attempts in psychiatric inpatients?
Mean platelet volume and platelet to lymphocyte ratio may serve as peripheral biological markers associated with high-lethality suicide attempts in psychiatric inpatients.
OBJECTIVES: A wide range of potential psychosocial, biological, genetic and environmental factors may interact with each other in determining suicidal behaviours. The aim of this study was to evaluate several biological parameters referred to the complete blood count values in 259 suicide attempters (SA) and 164 non-suicide attempters (control group), according to the lethality of suicidal behaviour. METHODS: After attempting suicide, subjects were admitted to the emergency ward of the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino and later to the section of Psychiatry from 1 January 2014 to 31 June 2019. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as blood cells, were collected. RESULTS: Individuals with high-lethality suicide attempts had a higher number of neutrophils, mean platelet volume, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and lower number of lymphocytes relative to both those with low-lethality suicide attempts and control group. After regression analysis, only the mean platelet volume and platelet to lymphocyte ratio resulted associated with a high-lethality suicide attempt (HLSA). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide potential and useful peripheral biological markers able to help clinicians in understanding the complex phenomenon of suicide. However, further studies are needed to confirm the present findings.
Aguglia et al. (Mon,) conducted a case-control in Suicide attempts (n=423). Mean platelet volume and platelet to lymphocyte ratio vs. Low-lethality suicide attempts and non-suicide attempters was evaluated on High-lethality suicide attempt (HLSA). Mean platelet volume and platelet to lymphocyte ratio were significantly associated with high-lethality suicide attempts compared to low-lethality attempts and controls.