PLATELET COUNT AND MEAN PLATELET VOLUME I N THE SPANISH POPULATION

BACKGROUND: Platelet counts between 150 X 10(9)/l and 400 X 10(9)/l ar e considered as normal in the adult population. However in Spain it is not unusual to find lower counts in healthy people. SUBJECTS AND METH ODS: We have studied platelet counts in 1,430 prospective healthy plat elet donors. In 93 we measured mean platelet volume (MPV) in a blood s ample collected in citrate (1:4 v/v) in order to avoid the platelet sw elling induced by EDTA. Complete blood counts were performed on a Baye r-Technicon H1. A reference range of 95% was calculated for platelet count and MPV, and the relationship between platelet count and sex, ag e, hemoglobin and MPV was studied. RESULTS: Mean (30) platelet count ( in X 10(9)/l) in men (195 [42]; n = 1,053) is lower (p less than or eq ual to 0.0005) than in women (213 [47]; n = 377). The reference range in men is 123-295, in women 137-319 and in both 125 to 300. The mean ( SD) for MPV (in fl) is 9.6 (0.7) (no significant differences between s exes) and the reference range is 7.8-11. There is an inverse linear re lationship between the circulating platelets and their MPV measured in citrate at high concentration (r = -0.282, p = 0.006, n = 93) and in EDTA (r = -0.364, p less than or equal to 0.0005, n = 1,430) and also between platelet count and Hb levels (r = -0.166, p less than or equal to 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: The mean of platelet count in women is highe r than in males in a sample of Spanish population. There is an inverse linear relationship between platelet count and their MPV measures mea sured in citrate at high concentration and in EDTA. The reference rang e for platelet count seems to be lower than in other populations of No rth European origin.