Discriminative value of platelet size indices for the identification of the mechanism of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia

Abstract

Context: A biomarker for discriminating mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) (i.e. increased platelet destruction and decreased platelet production) would be valuable in managing treatment.

Objective: We explored the discriminating value of platelet size indices for this purpose in a population of adult oncology patients.

Materials and methods: Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) were compared between patients with (i) thrombocytopenia possibly due to increased platelet destruction; (ii) thrombocytopenia possibly due to decreased platelet destruction; and (iii) no thrombocytopenia.

Results and conclusions: We obtained negative results, suggesting that these indices are not useful for discriminating different CIT mechanisms.

Keywords::

• Biomarker
• mean platelet volume
• platelet distribution width

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to their colleagues at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS) and the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) for their support in establishing the Utrecht Patient Oriented Database (UPOD). They thank Ludi van Dun from Abbott Diagnostics, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, for his support in collecting the data from the Abbott Cell-Dyn analyzers.

Declaration of interest

The authors did not have a potential conflict of interest. The department of pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacotherapy employing authors MB, PB, TE, and WS has received unrestricted funding for pharmacoepidemiological research from GlaxoSmithKline, Novo Nordisk, the private–public funded Top Institute Pharma (www.tipharma.nl, includes co-funding from universities, government, and industry), the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board, and the Dutch Ministry of Health.