An evaluation of the Sysmex NE-8000 hematology analyzer

The Sysmex NE-8000 is a new, fully automated hematology analyzer capable of providing a five-part white blood cell differential count and identifying abnormal specimens. This instrument was evaluated on 5,000 consecutive blood specimens and compared to the Coulter S Plus-IV analyzer and manual differential cell counts to determine the efficacy of its five-cell differential and screening capabilities. There was a high correlation between the commercial counters for the standard parameters, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and platelet count (r greater than 0.95), except for the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (r = 0.51), for which the NE-8000 was considered the more accurate measurement. Precision and linearity studies were excellent. The white blood cell count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level, and platelet count were reproducible on specimens stored at 4 degrees C or room temperature for 72 hours and the differential counts were reproducible for 12 hours. The correlations between automated and manual counts for neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocytes were excellent: r = 0.912, 0.945, 0.332, and 0.964, respectively. The monocyte correlation improved with software modification from 0.306 to 0.801. The NE-8000 gave accurate and reproducible differential counts for neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes on specimens with white blood cell counts as low as 0.6 x 10(9)/1. The ability of the instrument to 'flag' abnormal specimens was excellent. The false-positive rate on normal samples was 1.8%, and the false-negative rate on known abnormal samples was 0.3%, due only to nonrecognition of a mild left shift. The identification of specific abnormalities was less precise. The NE-8000 is a powerful hematology analyzer that can perform a five-part white blood cell differential count accurately for a wide range of WBCs and reliably indicate abnormal specimens. It is an excellent screening tool for distinguishing between normal and abnormal specimens and identifying those that require microscopy. Its reliability significantly reduces the need for manual film examination.