Mean platelet volume in children with hepatitis A

BACKGROUND Mean platelet volume (MPV), which is commonly used as a measure of platelet size, indicates the rate of platelet production and platelet activation. We aimed to evaluate the mean platelet volume in children with hepatitis A. METHODS In this retrospective case-controlled study, the study population consisted of 62 children with hepatitis A and 62 healthy control subjects. RESULTS MPV values, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels on admission were significantly increased in patients with hepatitis A when compared to controls whereas white blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly lower. Two weeks after admission, the MPV values showed a significant decrease from 9.47 ± 1.62 to 8.84 ± 1.48 fL in patients with hepatitis A, but these values were still significantly higher than the controls. There was a significant difference in terms of MPV, WBC, AST, and ALT values between the controls and the patient group 2 weeks after admission. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to evaluate the MPV levels in children with hepatitis A. MPV values were found to be increased in children hospitalized with hepatitis A.