To study the effects of heavy cigarette smoking on coagulation (CGG) screening tests and platelet counts (PLTs) in a Sudanese male adults population.
A case control study was conducted at both Kosti and Gabalein towns, Sudan, during October 2016 to May 2017. A 100 adult cigarette smokers were selected and another 100 matched non-smokers were selected as healthy controls. Blood samples were collected in trisodium citrate anti-coagulant for prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and international normalized ratio (INR), analyzed using standard methods (co-agulometer machine) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for the platelet counts, using an automated haematology analyzer (Sysmex, Tokoyo, Japan).
The results showed that the mean platelet counts were significantly lower in the smokers (183x10 3/cmm±64x10 3/cmm) versus (244x10 3/cmm±38x10 3/cmm) in non-smokers, ( p<0.000). Pearson correlation analysis suggested a weak negative correlation between platelet counts with the duration of smoking (r= -0.289, p<0.004) and the age of the smokers (r= -0.238, p<0.017). The mean PT and INR were also significantly lower in smokers (12.9±1.2 seconds) compared with the non-smokers (13.7±1.04 seconds, p<0.000), for PT and (0.95±0.09 versus 1.01±0.08, p<0.000) for INR. In contrast, PTT had no significant variation in smokers (30.5±3.8 seconds) and the non-smokers (37.9±4.6 seconds). A p-value>0.05 was considered significant.