OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between acute graft rejection early after renal transplantation and the variations of platelet parameters.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 167 renal transplant recipients before and within 2 months after the surgery. Before and at 1-10 days, 15 days, 30 days, 45 days and 60 days after the transplantation, 5 platelet parameters, including platelet count (PLT), platelet hematocrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet volume distribution width (PDW), and large platelet ratio (P-LCR), were detected in the 35 patients with acute graft rejection within two months (AR group) and in the other 132 recipients with good graft recovery (control group).

RESULTSThe AR group and control group showed no significant difference in PLT, PCT, MPV, or P-LCR before the surgery, but the PDW was significantly higher in the AR group (t=2.18, P=0.035). These parameters were similar within 5 postoperative days between the two groups (P>0.05), but in postoperative days 6-15, the AR group showed significantly increased MPV, PDW and P-LCR compared with the control group (P<0.05). In postoperative days 6-9, MPV, PDW and P-LCR became stable in AR group but tended to decrease in the control group, showing obviously different patterns of variation between the two groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPreoperative PDW may have a positive correlation with acute graft rejection after renal transplantation. Monitoring the variations of MPV, PDW and P-LCR may help in the diagnosis of acute graft rejection early after renal transplantation.