English

Abstract

BACKGROUND Microcytic hypochromic anaemia is commonly due to iron deficiency, anaemia of chronic disorder [ACD] and thalassaemic syndromes. Reticulocyte count reflects the erythropoietic activity of bone marrow and is thus useful in both diagnosing anaemias and monitoring bone marrow response to therapy METHODS All samples were selected from routine blood counts, and sent for investigation of anaemia, over a period of two years. These samples were run on the DxH800 (Beckman Coulter). 385 cases were selected for the study. Blood analysis for all these cases had been requested by general practitioners to investigate anaemia. These blood samples had been collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulant vacutainers and processed within 2 hours of collection. Determination of red cell and reticulocyte parameters in all blood samples, was performed using the Beckman Coulter 7-part analyser [Unicell DxH 800]. RESULTS Of the 156 cases of microcytic hypochromic anaemia studied, iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) was present in 91 cases, anaemia of chronic disorder (ACD) in 50 cases, beta thalassemia trait (BTT) in 15 cases. Of the 50 ACD cases, 37 were associated with IDA. The control group comprised of 229 adult medical students (143 women and 103 men) with a median age of 18.84 ± 0.98 years. We also had 4 cases of other haemoglobinopathies, which were microcytic hypochromic, but were not included in our study as the number of cases was too less to be analysed. CONCLUSIONS New reticulocyte parameters are useful for evaluation of iron status and diagnosing iron deficiency anaemias. They also are reliable parameters for recognising subsets of anaemic patients thereby improving the management of anaemia. KEYWORDS Reticulocyte, Microcytic, Hypochromic, Anaemia, Beckman Coulter