ABSTRACT
Rheumatoid arthritis [RA] is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects small joints of hands and feet. Different forms of hematological disorders are associated with RA as anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytosis, thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia, and hematological malignancies. To correlate the value of mean platelet volume [MPV], platelet count and platelet hyperactivity with Disease Activity Score [DAS 28 score] and their reflection on cardiovascular system in RA. 50 newly diagnosed RA patients were attending the Clinical Rheumatology Unit during the year 2012 with twenty five control helthy subjects randomly selected. For all, CBC, including platelet count, MPV, platelet aggregation using ADP, echocardiography in addition to ECG, ESR, and CRP were done. MPV, Platelet count, CRP and ESR were, significantly higher in RA patients than controls, while Platelet aggregation, hemoglobin level, mean diastolic function and ejection fraction[EF] were significantly lower in RA patients than control group. Significant positive correlations were detected between DAS 28 score and both MPV and platelet count, while significant negative correlations were found with both hemoglobin and EF. Significant increase of the platelet aggregation in sero-negative compared to sero-positive rheumatoid arthritis patients was detected. Platelet count and MPV are inexpensive tests, may be useful for a rapid assessment of disease activity in patients with RA