Relationship between platelet counts, C-reactive protein and plasma fibrinolytic capacity in critically ill patients

We studied blood samples of ICU patients with (n = 11) and without (n = 21) sepsis at the first day of admission. Fibrinolytic capacity was evaluated by the Euglobulin Clot Lysis Time (ECLT) determined by a new method [2]. We also collected biological data and the SAPS II score for each patients. The correlations were depicted by Spearman's test.The ECLT was significantly correlated with CRP (R = 0.64; P < 0.001) and PC (R = -0.4; P = 0.02). The two-way ANOVA showed that the sepsis status increased significantly the ECLT (P = 0.023) and that platelets under 208,500 cells/μl (median of the histogram of PC was used as the cut-off) also increased the ECLT (P = 0.023). However, there was no interaction (P = 0.184).Platelets can protect the endothelium against several forms of oxidative injuries [3]. With this study we showed that the decrease of the platelets count could favor the endothelium dysfunction and impaired fibrinolytic capacity, and this independently of sepsis. In addition, C-reactive protein is not only an inflammatory marker, but it might be involved in the endothelium damage.