Mean platelet and red blood cell volume measurements to estimate the severity of hypertension in pregnancy.

摘要

We investigated the alterations in platelets, granulocytes,and RBC characteristics in cases affected by hypertension in pregnancy, in order to evaluate the severity of the disease.Pregnancy induced hypertension is defined as blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg for the first time during pregnancy, without proteinuria. Preeclampsia (PE) is a complication of pregnancy affecting about 10% of primiparouswomen during the second half of pregnancy, is characterized by increased blood pressure and proteinuria, and is often associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Changes in platelets and red blood cells (RBC) number and volume have been reported in hypertension during pregnancy . Most studies have shown changes in platelet numbers, platelet survival, and mean platelet volume, which have been interpreted as evidence of increased platelet consumption [3, 4], whereas other groups have related mean RBC volume to maternal blood pressure. The deleterious consequence of increasing blood pressure, is partially compensated by a concomitant decrease in RBC volume, thus attempting to counteract the viscous effects of a larger relative RBC mass with smaller cell size characteristics. Platelet count falls early in hypertension and precedes renal changes, proposing an active role of platelet consumption in the pathophysiology of this disorder. In the early stages of PE, platelet aggregation is increased, and in established severe disease it is decreased.