Usefulness of mean platelet volume as a predictor of activity and severityin patients with syphilis: An applied study in Cuba
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62059/LatArXiv.preprints.466Keywords:
Syphilis, Mean Platelet Volume, Biomarkers, Inflammation, Hematologic Diagnosis, Infectious Disease MonitoringAbstract
Background: Syphilis remains a prevalent sexually transmitted infection with diagnostic
limitations in low-resource settings. The need for accessible biomarkers has driven interest in
mean platelet volume (MPV) as a potential hematological indicator. Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of mean platelet volume (MPV) as a marker of disease activity and severity in
syphilis, before and after treatment. Methods: A prospective applied study was conducted
between July 2024 and May 2025 including 88 patients with confirmed syphilis. MPV, platelet
distribution width (PDW), platelet count, and VDRL titers were measured at diagnosis and 30
days after benzathine penicillin treatment. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, paired ttest, and ROC curve analysis were used. Results: MPV was significantly lower during active syphilis (mean 6.9 ± 1.1 fL) compared to post-treatment values (mean 8.8 ± 1.0 fL, p < 0.001). A moderate inverse correlation was found between MPV and VDRL titers (r = −0.57, p < 0.01). ROC curve analysis revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.74–0.91), with 81% sensitivity and 76% specificity for a cut-off of MPV <7.5 fL to identify active disease. Conclusion: MPV is a practical, cost-effective, and accessible biomarker for evaluating disease activity and monitoring treatment response in syphilis, particularly in resource-limited settings.
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