Association of Platelet Count with Severity of Chronic Liver Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a significant global health concern, encompassing a range of liver pathologies with varying degrees of severity. This cross- sectional study aims to investigate the relationship between platelet count and the severity of CLD. Platelet count is a readily available and cost-effective clinical parameter that may serve as a valuable prognostic marker for CLD progression.  Materials and Method: The study included 122 patients in Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital (CMCTH) diagnosed with CLD during one year starting from March 2022. Data were collected using the proforma specially designed for this study. Parameters like age and gender, as well as brief clinical data, including liver function tests, imaging findings, and platelet count, were collected. Patients were then classified into different stages of severity based on established criteria, i.e. child Pugh Score system (CTP score). Statistical analyses were performed using a statistical package for the social science (SPSS); statistical program version 20.0, to explore the association between platelet count and CLD severity.  Results: The majority of patients who had chronic liver disease were found to be high in the age group of 40-60 years. Thrombocytopenia was found in 72.1% of chronic liver disease patients. After classifying the severity of chronic liver disease, it was found that 55.7% of patients had a severe disease that was CTP-C, 36.1% were found to be CTP-B and 8.2% were CTP-A. In patients with normal platelet count, 44.1% had CTP-B, 41.2 had CTPC and 14.7% had CTP-A score. In patients with thrombocytopenia, 61.4% had CTP-C, 33.0% had CTP- B and 5.7% had CTP-A score.  Conclusion: This study provides a valuable snapshot of the potential association between platelet count and the severity of chronic liver disease. The prevalence of thrombocytopenia across different disease stages underscores its clinical relevance. The platelet count is decreased in chronic liver disease, however, it cannot be defined as the sole predictor for the severity of CLD.