Study on the relationship between mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width with coronary artery lesion in children with Kawasaki disease

Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) are correlated with platelet function and may be a more sensitive index than platelet number as a marker of clinical interest in various disorders. Therefore, this study was designed to answer the following questions: do MPV and PDW levels change in Kawasaki disease (KD), is there any relation between CAL in children with MPV and PDW and whether MPV and PDW might support a diagnosis of incomplete KD. A total of 309 KD patients and 160 sex-age matched healthy subjects were enrolled into the study. For all subjects following tests were performed: MPV, PDW, platelet count, white blood cells counts (WBC), C reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Patients with CALs were assigned to three groups depending on the extent of CALs which were visualized by echocardiography: dilatation and/or ectasia, aneurysm and giant aneurysms. We compared patients with fever and four or five of the principal criteria (complete KD, cKD) to the other patients (iKD). Compared with healthy controls a significant decrease in MPV and PDW (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively) and increase in WBC, platelet count, CRP and ESR (p all < 0.001) was noted in children with KD. There were no statistically differences in MPV and PDW between KD with CALs and KD without CALs (p > 0.05). However, MPV and PDW were significantly lower in patients with iKD than in group with cKD (p = 0.003, p = 0.014, respectively). It was first shown that patients with KD have lower MPV and PDW than control subjects. The diagnosis of iKD is challenging but can be supported by the presence of lower MPV and PDW.