The relationship between platelet volume and risk of atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis

Abstract

Objective The aim of this research was to evaluate the relation between the mean platelet volume (MPV) and clinical aspects (onset, duration, and severity) in patients with psoriasis. In addition, the purpose was to evaluate the possible risk of atherosclerosis in these patients. Background Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease affecting 2–4% of the world population. However, studies in developing countries have reported higher prevalence rates of ∼4.6% on an average. MPV is an indicator of platelet activation, and it is a newly emerging risk factor for patients with atherothrombotic psoriasis. Patients and methods A case–control study was conducted on 40 patients with variable degrees of psoriasis severity (cases) and they were compared with 20 matched healthy participants (controls). All participants were selected from dermatology inpatients and outpatient clinics of the Menoufia University Hospital in the period from September 2015 to March 2016. Full detailed history, routine laboratory investigations, clinical features, Psoriasis Area and the Severity Index (PASI) scores, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) values were taken for each participant (cases and controls). Results There were statistically no significant differences between patients with psoriasis and control groups regarding age, sex, BMI, total cholesterol, and triglycerides (P>0.05%, for all), whereas patients with psoriasis had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, mean MPV and CIMT values, and frequency of ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD than the control group. In addition, BMI, duration of illness, PASI, and mean values of MPV were significantly (P=0.5) elevated in patients with psoriasis with atherosclerosis than patients with psoriasis without atherosclerosis. Moreover, MPV level was correlated positively with age, BMI, duration of psoriasis, PASI score, and CIMT in the atherosclerotic psoriatic case group. Moreover, CIMT and PASI score were correlated positively with BMI, duration of illness, MPV, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, and NAFLD in the psoriasis patient group, whereas CIMT was significantly correlated positively with PASI score. Conclusion Psoriasis is associated with high MPV. So, MPV is a good indicator of psoriasis severity. Thus, MPV is a good positive test for early detection of premature atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis. This study may confirm previous observation indicating increased platelet activation in psoriasis. Increased platelet activity could contribute toward increasing the atherosclerotic risk in patients with psoriasis.