No abstract

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease caused by autoimmune response to a preceding group A streptococcal infection. Mean platelet volume (MPV) reflects the platelet size and the rate of platelet production in bone marrow, and it may be used as an indicator of platelet activation and severity of inflammation. Fifty-three consecutive patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic carditis and 53 control subjects were enrolled into this study. Leukocyte and platelet counts were significantly higher in patients with acute carditis before treatment compared with controls, whereas MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW) values were not significantly different between groups. Platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) values were decreased significantly in patients with RF after treatment. There was not a significant difference in terms of platelet count between the controls and the patient group after treatment. ESR was found to be correlated with CRP in patients before and after treatment. In conclusion, the results of our study showed that MPV and PDW levels do not change during acute rheumatic carditis before and after treatment.

Cardiovascular function and the elastic properties of major arteries are disturbed in children and adolescents with 21-hydroxylase-deficient CAH.

No abstract

Postnatal closure of the ductus arteriosus is a complicated two-phase process involving functional and structural changes. So far, the precise mechanisms regulating this process are not fully understood. A growing body of evidence from recent studies suggests that platelets play a key role in inflammatory processes including ductal closure via interaction with endothelial cells. The aim of this study is to assess whether a relationship exists between the occurrence and/or closure of hemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus (HSDA) and platelet parameters (platelet count, circulating platelet mass, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width) in preterm newborns. This single-center, retrospective study included 824 premature infants between 24 and 34 gestational weeks, evaluated by echocardiography at postnatal 72-96 h. Infants with and without HSDA (n = 208 vs. n = 616) were compared in terms of platelet parameters recorded within the first 3 days of life. Oral or intravenous ibuprofen was commenced for medical treatment, and echocardiography was repeated 24 h thereafter to determine ductal closure. No statistically significant difference could be demonstrated between the groups in terms of baseline platelet parameters. HSDA was independently associated with early-onset neonatal sepsis. Thrombocytopenia, low circulating platelet mass, high platelet distribution width, or high mean platelet volume could not be demonstrated as a risk factor for HSDA. None of the platelet parameters had an influence on ductal closure after medical treatment. Unlike most reports in the literature, presence of HSDA was not associated with any platelet parameter in our study. We could not demonstrate an association between any platelet parameter and either persistence or closure after medical treatment.