Introduction:

Large platelets are an important risk factor for the development of thrombosis. In this study, we aimed to measure the presence of large cell platelets and its relationship with disease severity in major depressive disorder (MDD).

Material and methods:

In this study, platelet volume indices were analyzed from the complete blood count (CBC) results of 103 cases (51 MDD and 52 controls) analyzed retrospectively. For the experimental group of MDD patients, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were applied and compared to platelet parameters.

Results:

The study found that platelet large cell ratio (PLC-R) and platelet large cell count (PLC-C) values were higher in the MDD group compared to healthy controls. ROC analysis showed that PLC-C > 91.24 had 70.6% sensitivity and 80.8% specificity for MDD. Pearson correlation analysis showed that PLC-C values and HAM-D scores correlated positively in MDD patients.

Conclusions:

A simple CBC analysis detects PLC-R and PLC-C. Indices that give the ratio (PLC-R) and number (PLC-C) of larger and more active platelets in terms of coagulation should be emphasized. Our study found higher PLC-R and PLC-C values in patients with MDD compared to the control group, and increased PLC-C values with increased severity of depression. Thus PLC-C may be a useful marker for the increased coagulation activity observed in MDD patients and MDD patients with high PLC-R and PLC-C values may benefit from preventive antithrombotic therapy.