title: Hematologic changes in brucellosis.
abstract: Hematologic abnormalities were studied prospectively in 38 patients with brucellosis. Anemia was found in 74% of patients, leukopenia in 45%, neutropenia in 21%, lymphopenia in 63%, and thrombocytopenia in 39.5%. Eight patients (21%) were pancytopenic; seven of these individuals also had splenomegaly. Bone marrow hypoplasia was not found. Bleeding complications developed in 26% of patients and were significantly associated with clotting abnormalities (low platelet count, low fibrinogen level, and/or prolongation of thrombin clotting time); i.e., bleeding occurred in approximately 50% of patients with marked clotting abnormalities but in no patients with normal clotting. Determination of fibrinogen levels at different stages of brucellosis led to a redefinition of the normal level for patients with this infection. Patients without clotting abnormalities had fibrinogen levels of 233-711 mg/100 ml (mean, 384 mg/100 ml), whereas patients with thrombocytopenia and prolonged thrombin clotting time had levels of 122-360 mg/100 ml (mean, 216 mg/100 ml; P less than .001) that increased to 233-519 mg/100 (mean, 360 mg/100 ml) when clotting values returned to normal. Lymphopenia was significantly correlated with the severity of clinical manifestations (bleeding and hepatic involvement).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology*; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D013918:Thrombin Time; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen