Abstract
BackgroundHaematological values derived from local populations are useful in laboratories to improve diagnoses for local patients. In Cameroon, these data are not yet available. Moreover, there is great variation in baseline parameters pertaining to full blood cell count among medical laboratories.ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine values for the complete blood cell count of a healthy adult Cameroonian population for use in locally derived ranges in our medical laboratories.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among blood donors attending three blood banks in Yaoundé from November 2015 to September 2016. We expected to obtain at least 120 venous blood samples from both men and women. Tests were performed for (1) HIV, (2) complete blood cell count, (3) hepatitis B virus, (4) malaria, (5) syphilis, (6) C-reactive protein and (7) hepatitis C virus.ResultsWe enrolled 294 healthy participants (161 men, 133 women) aged 18 to 55 years. The median haemoglobin concentration was 135 g/L in men and 114 g/L in women (p < 0.001). The median reticulocyte count was 60 × 109/L in men and 40 × 109/L in women (p < 0.001). Significant variation by sex was observed for the platelet count. The median white blood cell count was 4.1 × 109/L in men and 4.6 × 109/L in women (p = 0.008).ConclusionThis study provides locally derived ranges for complete blood cell and reticulocyte counts for a healthy adult population in Yaoundé, Cameroon. These results can be used pending larger studies.
Highlights
A complete blood cell count is the most current and simplest method for assessing medullary function and haematopoiesis
Cameroon has a heterogeneous population consisting of 250 ethnic groups that can be classified into five main groups: (1) southern tropical forest peoples, (2) western highlanders, (3) coastal tropical forest peoples, and the (4) Kirdi and (5) Fulas ethnic groups
There is a great variability in reference values between medical analysis laboratories in Cameroon
Summary
A complete blood cell count is the most current and simplest method for assessing medullary function and haematopoiesis. Normal values used in our laboratories are provided from the literature or instrument manuals. These values usually come from industrialised countries and are not always suitable for our context. Yaoundé is a multicultural city in which these communities can be found Factors such as age, sex and race in addition to environment can significantly influence blood count parameters.[1,2,3] The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommends that laboratories develop their own local values.[4] there is a great variability in reference values between medical analysis laboratories in Cameroon. This study was intended to determine the values of a complete blood cell count in a healthy adult population for better quality diagnosis, which could in some cases prevent unnecessary testing. There is great variation in baseline parameters pertaining to full blood cell count among medical laboratories
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