BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, characterized by hypertension and signs of organ dysfunction, including thrombocytopenia. Platelet indices such as mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) are emerging as potential biomarkers for preeclampsia severity and progression. To assess the association between platelet indices and preeclampsia among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a private healthcare facility in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hospital-based prospective case-control study was conducted, including pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia (both mild and severe) and normotensive controls. Platelet indices were measured at the time of delivery and compared across groups. Statistical analysis included ANOVA and post hoc test for group comparisons and for relationship between platelet indices and disease severity. ROC curve analysis for diagnostic performance. RESULTS: A significant decrease in platelet count was observed in pre-eclamptic women compared to normotensive controls (mean platelet count: 2.38 ± 0.44 × 10 3 /µl in normotensive, 2.14 ± 0.47 × 10 3 /µl in mild preeclampsia, and 1.90 ± 0.312 × 10 3 /µl in severe preeclampsia). In contrast, platelet indices such as MPV, PDW, PCT, and P-LCR were elevated in preeclampsia, with levels increasing in proportion to disease severity, except for PCT, which showed an inconsistent pattern. ROC analysis demonstrated that PDW (AUC: 0.622, P = 0.004), PCT (AUC: 0.712, P = 0.01), and MPV (AUC: 0.678, P = 0.01) had diagnostic significance, suggesting their potential role in predicting disease severity. CONCLUSION: Platelet indices, particularly PDW, MPV, and PCT, are significantly associated with preeclampsia and its severity. Incorporating these markers into routine antenatal screening could aid in early risk stratification. However, further multicenter studies and longitudinal follow-ups are recommended to establish standardized diagnostic cut-offs.
Rashmi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.