Detection of imported malaria with the Cell-Dyn 4000 hematology analyzer.
The sensitivity and specificity of the Cell-Dyn 4000 hematology analyzer in the diagnosis of imported malaria were studied with samples from patients in an academic hospital setting. The performance of the Cell-Dyn 4000 hematology analyzer was compared with that of conventional diagnostic methods for malaria. The Cell-Dyn 4000 hematology analyzer detected hemozoin-containing depolarizing monocytes in 29 of 58 patients with malaria and 2 of 55 patients without malaria. The presence or absence of depolarizing monocytes in patients with malaria was related to duration of symptoms before presentation for malaria analysis. A second parameter, pseudoreticulocytosis due to nuclear material of intraerythrocytic malaria parasites, was detected by the Cell-Dyn 4000 hematology analyzer almost exclusively in Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients with parasitemia levels of >/=0.5%. Attention to these abnormalities in medical centers without tropical disease expertise may decrease a delay in the diagnosis of malaria.
Wever
Peter C
PC
Section of Parasitology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.c.wever@amc.uva.nl
Henskens
Yvonne M C
YM
Kager
Piet A
PA
Dankert
Jacob
J
van Gool
Tom
T
D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D041122:Plasmodium ovale / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012156:Reticulocytes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D006420:Hemeproteins; C020753:hemozoin