Automated assessment of the neutrophil and platelet activation status in patients with essential thrombocythemia

Neutrophil and platelet activation are consistently found in essential thrombocythemia (ET), but the techniques employed to demonstrate such abnormalities are complex. To ascertain whether the ADVIA 120 analyzer can be employed to assess neutrophil and platelet activation status in ET, 55 such patients and the same number of matched healthy individuals were studied and the results correlated with neutrophil CD11b and platelet P-selectin expressions measured by flow cytometry. Compared with controls, ET patients had significantly higher values of neutrophil myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and platelet component distribution width, and significantly lower values of neutrophil lobularity index and mean platelet component (MPC). Patients with the JAK2 mutation had significantly lower values of MPC and higher values of MPV and PDW than those with wild-type allele. A positive correlation was observed between MPXI and neutrophil CD11b expression and a negative correlation between MPC and platelet P-selectin expression. The intensity of the agreement between the variables obtained by the two methods was moderate. These results support the possible value of MPC as surrogate parameter of platelet activation in ET.