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Original Research | Pathology | Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026 | Pages: 130 - 133 | India
A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate the Association of Platelet Indices in Preeclampsia and Healthy Pregnancy
Abstract: Preeclampsia is a major hypertensive disorder of pregnancy associated with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Platelet activation and increased platelet consumption are recognized features of its pathophysiology, making platelet indices potential biomarkers for its diagnosis and assessment of disease severity. This cross-sectional study evaluated the association of platelet indices with preeclampsia and healthy pregnancy among 90 pregnant women beyond 20 weeks of gestation, including 50 women with preeclampsia and 40 normotensive controls. Clinical details, blood pressure, and urine protein levels were recorded, and platelet indices were measured using an automated Sysmex hematology analyzer. Statistical analysis was performed with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) were significantly higher in women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive controls (MPV: 9.8 vs. 8.7 fL; PDW: 13.5 vs. 12.1 fL; p<0.001). Plateletcrit (PCT) also showed a significant difference between the groups (p<0.001), whereas platelet count was lower in the preeclampsia group but did not reach statistical significance. MPV demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance with a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 85%, followed by PCT (78% sensitivity) and PDW (72% sensitivity). Platelet count showed the highest specificity (95%) but comparatively lower sensitivity (73%). The findings suggest that MPV, PDW, and PCT are more reliable indicators of platelet activation in preeclampsia than platelet count alone and may serve as useful adjunctive biomarkers for the early diagnosis and evaluation of preeclampsia. Incorporating these inexpensive and routinely available platelet indices into antenatal assessment may facilitate earlier identification of women at risk and improve maternal and fetal outcomes. Larger multicenter prospective studies are recommended to validate these findings and establish their role in routine clinical practice.
Keywords: Preeclampsia, Platelet indices, Maternal health, Diagnostic Biomarkers, Pregnancy
How to Cite?: Dr. Poojashree C, Dr. Anusha Mahajanshetti, Dr. Sushmitha N, Dr. Latha B, Dr. Siddiq M Ahmed, "A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate the Association of Platelet Indices in Preeclampsia and Healthy Pregnancy", Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 130-133, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26802115758, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26802115758