Evaluation of Platelet Indices and serum LDH in Immune Thrombocytopenia: Diagnostic Utility of serum LDH

<ns3:p>Background The diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) relies on clinical manifestations, as no definitive gold standard exists. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is emerging as a potential biomarker for diagnosing severe ITP. We evaluated the diagnostic utility of LDH and its correlation with clinical severity in ITP patients. Methods This prospective observational study included 62 patients diagnosed with primary or secondary ITP. Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected, and serum LDH along with platelets were analyzed at recruitment. The diagnostic utility of serum LDH in distinguishing severe from non-severe ITP was evaluated. Results A total of 62 patients with ITP were studied, 64.5% had severe thrombocytopenia and 35.4% had non-severe thrombocytopenia. The median serum LDH level was significantly higher in severe ITP (276 [216–307]) compared to non-severe ITP (209 [184–275]), p=0.03. LDH showed a negative correlation with platelet count (ρ = -0.817, p = 0.01) and plateletcrit (p = -0.26, p = 0.03), while no correlation was observed with MPV. The cut-off value of LDH was 234U/L, with a specificity of 62.5% and sensitivity of 63.6%, respectively for diagnosing severe thrombocytopenia. Conclusion There was a significant elevation of serum LDH levels in patients with severe ITP compared to non-severe ITP.</ns3:p>