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Establishment of reference intervals for complete blood count in times of COVID-19 and vaccination
Claudia Mendieta-Gutiérrez1, Selene Chávez-González2, Brenda Ivonne Rodríguez-Romero1
1Clinical Analysis Laboratory, Traumatology Hospital "Dr. Victorio de la Fuente Narváez", High Specialty Medical Unit, Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), Mexico City, México.
Insights
This study establishes new reference intervals for complete blood count (CBC) parameters in a healthy Mestizo-Mexican population considering COVID-19 status and vaccination history. Findings indicate minor, non-pathological variations in CBC results influenced by these factors.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination campaigns necessitate updated understanding of hematological parameters.
- Complete blood count (CBC) reference intervals (RI) may be influenced by prior infection or vaccination.
- Existing CBC RI may not accurately reflect current healthy populations with diverse COVID-19 backgrounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine CBC reference intervals in a healthy Mestizo-Mexican population.
- To compare established CBC RI with previous benchmarks.
- To assess the impact of COVID-19 infection and vaccination status on CBC parameters.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study conducted from June to September 2021.
- Reference intervals established using non-parametric methods on Sysmex XN-1000 analyzer.
- Non-parametric statistical tests used to compare groups based on COVID-19 and vaccination history.
Main Results:
- Established new CBC reference intervals for 156 men and 128 women.
- Observed significant differences in parameters like hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC, and platelets between sexes.
- Identified minor, non-pathological variations in lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and MPV related to COVID-19 and vaccination status.
Conclusions:
- New CBC reference intervals were established for a Mestizo-Mexican population considering COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds.
- The established RI require validation in broader populations and different healthcare settings.
- Minor variations noted are not considered pathological, but updated RI are crucial for accurate clinical interpretation.
Introduction:
COVID-19 and vaccination may affect some parameters of the complete blood count (CBC). The aim of this study was to determine reference intervals (RI) of CBC in healthy population with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds and compare them with those established previously.
Materials And Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in donors who attended the Traumatology Hospital "Dr. Victorio de la Fuente Narváez" (HTVFN) from June to September 2021. Reference intervals were established using the non-parametric method on Sysmex XN-1000. For differences between groups with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds, non-parametric tests were used.
Results:
The RI were established in 156 men and 128 women. Haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), red blood cells (RBC), platelets (Plt), mean platelets volume (MPV), monocytes and relative neutrophils were higher in men than women (P < 0.001). The percentiles of Hb, Hct, RBC, MPV and relative monocytes showed higher values; Plt, white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and absolute basophils, the 2.5th was higher and the 97.5th was lower; for lymphocytes and relative neutrophils, both percentiles had a trend toward lower values, compared to previous RI. Differences between groups with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds, in lymphocytes (P = 0.038), neutrophils (P = 0.017) and eosinophils (P = 0.018) in men; Hct (P = 0.014), RDW (P = 0.023) in women and MPV (P = 0.001) in both, were not considered pathological.
Conclusions:
The RI for the CBC were established in a Mestizo-Mexican population with different COVID-19 and vaccination backgrounds, so should be updated and validated in different hospitals close to the HTVFN that use the same analyser.
