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1222 Platelet Electron Microscopy Does Not Correlate with Bleeding Scores in a Pediatric Population

Program: Oral and Poster Abstracts
Session: 311. Disorders of Platelet Number or Function: Clinical and Epidemiological: Poster I
Hematology Disease Topics & Pathways:
Bleeding and Clotting, Research, epidemiology, platelet disorders, Clinical Research, pediatric, Diseases, Human, Study Population
Saturday, December 9, 2023, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM

Hilary Whitworth, MD, MSc1, Elizabeth Andrews, BS2*, Eric Thompson, BS2*, Leslie Raffini, MD3, Bhavya S Doshi3 and Michele P. Lambert, MD, MTR1

1Division of Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
2Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
3Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Background: Platelet electron microscopy (PEM) is the diagnostic test for delta storage pool deficiency, a bleeding disorder due to qualitative or quantitative deficiency in dense granules leading to abnormal platelet function. Many people have non-syndromic forms which are challenging to diagnose.

Aims: We aimed to describe the population for whom PEM is sent and correlate PEM results with bleeding phenotype and platelet function testing.

Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective study including patients who had PEM sent between 2/1/2018 and 8/30/2022 and had a hematology encounter. Demographics, PEM results, platelet aggregation studies, von Willebrand factor (VWF) testing, coagulation studies, genetic testing, and International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis Bleeding Assessment Tool (ISTH-BAT) scores were collected. ISTH-BAT was calculated based on the note closest in time to PEM testing. ISTH-BAT was either retrospectively calculated from clinical documentation or extracted as calculated by the clinician during the visit. ISTH-BAT normal range was defined as <4 for adult males, <6 for adult females, and <3 for children (<18 years) (Elbatarny et al., Hemophilia 2014).

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and a Student’s t-test were used for normally distributed data and Spearman rank correlation for non-parametric data. Categorical variables were compared with a Pearson chi-squared test. Statistical analysis included the first PEM result. Alpha<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: There were 92 PEM tests sent from 77 subjects (Table 1). PEM testing was completed at either University of Toledo (N=79, normal range: 4-6 dense granules per platelet [dg/pl]) or Mayo Clinic (N=13, normal range: ≥1.2 dg/pl). Forty-six (60%) subjects had abnormal PEM results. Repeat testing was sent from 15 subjects, 13 of whom had an initial abnormal reported result with 12/13 repeat tests confirmed abnormal. Two initially indeterminant results were repeated with 1 abnormal and 1 normal on repeat.

The mean dense granule per platelet for the cohort was 2.68 (standard deviation [SD] 1.4) dg/pl. The mean dense granules per platelet was 3.9 dg/pl (range 1.8 – 5.47) for subjects with normal PEM results and 1.97 dg/pl (range 0 – 3.39) for those with abnormal results, p<0.001.

Most ISTH-BATs were retrospectively calculated from clinical documentation (71/77, 92%). The mean ISTH-BAT for the cohort was 3.6 (SD 2.2) and 50/77 (65%) had an elevated ISTH-BAT score for age and gender.

There was no correlation between the ISTH-BAT score and dg/pl (Pearson’s r=0.17, 95% CI: -0.60 – 0.379, p=0.15), (Figure 1). There was a weak correlation between dg/pl and ISTH-BAT for female gender (Pearson’s r=0.39, 95% CI: 0.105 – 0.611, p=0.009) that is not present with male gender (Pearson’s r= -0.057, 95% CI: -0.404 – 0.303, p=0.759). There was no difference between the mean dense granules per platelet for those with a normal ISTH-BAT (2.5 dg/pl, 95%CI: 1.79 - 3.22) and an abnormal ISTH-BAT (2.8 dg/pl 95% CI: 2.45 - 3.10), p=0.48. Similarly, there was no association between ISTH-BAT and PEM results as a binary variable, based on reference lab normal versus abnormal result (chi-squared p=0.22).

Seventy-three platelet function tests were performed in 74% (57/77) of the cohort. The majority (43/57, 75%) had only one platelet function test. Most were whole blood impedance lumi-aggregometry (WBILA) (65/73, 89%); 8 were light transmission aggregometry. The first platelet function test was abnormal in 42% (24/57) of those tested. In the 49 subjects with WBILA as their first test, the most common abnormality was ADP secretion (N=20). ADP secretion values are not correlated with dg/pl (Spearman’s r=0.28, p=0.05).

At least one set of VWF tests were sent in 79% of the cohort (61/77). Two subjects were diagnosed with VWD, one of whom had a reported abnormal PEM result (2.96 dg/pl) and an ISTH-BAT of 7. The other had a normal EM result (4.38 dg/pl) and an ISTH-BAT of 4.

Conclusions: There was no association between platelet EM results and bleeding phenotype by ISTH-BAT in the overall pediatric cohort, however there was a weak correlation between bleeding score and dg/pl in female gender. There was also no correlation between dg/pl and ADP secretion. Future work will focus on the utility of platelet EM testing in pediatrics and identifying subpopulations who may benefit from this test.

Disclosures: Raffini: Boeringer Ingelheim: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genetech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lambert: Sysmex: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; Sobi: Consultancy; Argenx: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Shionogi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rigel: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Principia: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Dova: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Octapharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

*signifies non-member of ASH