Comment on “Are neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and/or mean platelet volume (MPV) clinically useful as predictive parameters for preeclampsia?”

In the 2019 edition (issue: 9) of the “Journal of MaternalFetal & Neonatal Medicine,” Mannaerts et al. reported that mean platelet volume (MPV) is significantly elevated in the first half of pregnancy in women who later develop preeclampsia (PE) and might, therefore, be implemented in combination with other parameters in a PE prediction model [1]. However, there is a major limitation about MPV levels in this study. When we look at the Methods section, there is no information regarding MPV measurement technique. Some variable factors, such as the anticoagulant used, and the time between blood collection and measurement are known to significantly affect MPV measurements. Although ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is traditionally used and recommended for samples destined for blood counting, it is well known that platelets collected into EDTA anticoagulants undergo time-dependent platelet swelling and activation [2–4]. The retrospective nature of the study leads to a significant problem because the MPV results could not be standardized. Disclosure statement