RESUMEN
Objective To understand the role of increasing peripheral blood platelet count in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods This analysis included 80 inpatients with active pulmonary tuberculosis evidenced by positive sputum smear,43 patients in recovery and 89 healthy controls during the period from January to June in 2012.Peripheral white blood cell,platelet count,and neutrophil percentage were assayed.Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)and serum C-reactive protein (CRP)were measured and compared.The data were analyzed by using SPSS 13.0 software.Results ESR and CRP values were significantly higher in the patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis than in the patients in recovery (P=0.006 5 and P=0.007 3,respectively).The peripheral blood platelet count exceeded normal range in 41.94% of the patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis,which was significantly higher than that in the patients in recovery (P=0.001 4)and controls (P=0.000 0).Platelet count was positively correlated with CPR (r=0.515,P<0.000 1)and ESR (r=0.398,P<0.001)value.However,peripheral white cell count and neutrophil count were not different from the corresponding values of controls.Conclusions Increasing peripheral platelet count may play a role in assessment of tuberculosis disease activity and the effect of anti-tuberculosis treatment.