Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an early marker of platelet activation. Larger platelets, compared to small ones, increase platelet adhesion and aggregation, and present a higher thrombotic activity. Some studies have explored the association between MPV and the morbidity of portal vein thrombosis (PVT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive effect of MPV in patients with PVT by a meta-analysis. We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, OVID, CNKI and CBMD from database inception to September 13,2017. Seven studies in accordance with selection criteria were included. The extraction of basic data was independently conducted by two reviewers. The mean difference in MPV between PVT patients and controls were pooled with weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval of 0.88 fl (95% CI: 0.61-1.15). A random-effect model was chosen for an obvious heterogeneity in the pooling (Chi-square=27.12, df=6, P<000l, I2=77.9%). The sources of heterogeneity were from the difference of primary disease of participants and portal vein diameter. Taken together, our results reveal that MPV is a predictive indicator in patients with PVT.
Keywords: mean platelet volume; metaanalysis; portal vein thrombosis; prediction; risk factors.