Abstract
BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency in polycythaemia vera (PV) may impact the validity of the haematocrit (HCT), since HCT is red blood cell count (RBC) × mean corpuscular volume (MCV).
OBJECTIVES: To investigate (a) the effect of microcytosis on HCT, (b) the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as a possible additional diagnostic marker for PV.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 182 subjects: 39 with PV, 27 with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and 116 suspected of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) with a secondary cause for either thrombocytosis or erythrocytosis.
RESULTS: Patients with PV had significantly lower ratio of MCV and serum ferritin compared to MPN suspects. A good correlation of RBC versus HCT was found for PV and MPN subjects when individuals with microcytosis were excluded (R2 = .87 in PV and R2 = .82 in MPN suspects). We found a specificity of 98% and a sensitivity of 37% for ESR <2 mm in the diagnosis of PV.
CONCLUSION: The RBC may more precisely reflect the total red cell mass and accordingly the hypercoagulable state of the PV patient, which is integrated in the ESR. A combination of RBC and ESR is proposed as a novel tool to substitute the Hb concentration and the HCT in the diagnosis of PV.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
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Tidsskrift | European Journal of Haematology |
Vol/bind | 104 |
Udgave nummer | 1 |
Sider (fra-til) | 46-54 |
Antal sider | 9 |
ISSN | 0902-4441 |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - jan. 2020 |