Background: Platelet indices (PIs), including platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and platelet larger cell ratio (P-LCR) are used to predict clinical outcomes in patients with various medical conditions. The current study aimed at evaluating the correlation between serum iron saturation (IS) and PIs among the female students living in the Northwest of Iran.
Methods: The current cross sectional study included 254 high school female (HSF) students aged 15 to 18 years in Hamadan, Iran, from September to January 2016. After completion of a questionnaire, the hematological parameters were determined using standard methods. HSF afflicted with infections and acute hemorrhage, and the ones with malignancies and inflammatory diseases were excluded. The correlation between the serum levels of IS and PIs in the female residents of Northwest of Iran was evaluated using the Pearson correlation test.
Results: The reference range of PIs in healthy HSF in the Northwest of Iran was as follows: PC 241 ± 53 109/L, MPV 9.67 ± 0.88 fL, PDW 11.904% ± 1.68%, and P-LCR 22.908 ± 6.69 fL. Decreased IS and MPV resulted in increased PC in the current study population. An inverse correlation was observed between PC and IS (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between MPV, PDW, P-LCR, and IS (P > 0.05), but a linear correlation was observed between PDW and MPV (P < 0.001) as well as PDW and P-LCR (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: The current study data indicated IS as one of the most important factors affecting PC. PIs can serve as a clue to the severity of iron deficiency in HSF. It is recommended to conduct complementary studies to identify prognostic and diagnostic utilities of PIs in clinical practices.