title: [Counting reticulocytes: new importance of an old method].
abstract: In clinical practice, the reticulocyte count is the most useful method to estimate red cell life span and red cell production. However, experience of hematologists as well as surveys have shown that counting of reticulocytes is often neglected in the diagnostic work-up of unclassified anemias, and many physicians have difficulties in interpreting the results. Formerly, this was partly due to the low precision of manual counts. Today, this method is largely replaced by flow cytometry, available in almost all larger systems for automated blood count analysis, at low costs and sufficient analytic precision. Interpretation is supported by calculated parameters such as the Reticulocyte Production Index. Here, the authors discuss the limits of the analytic methods and the problems of interpretation in the context of the laboratory profile and the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik III, Zentrum der Inneren Medizin, Klinikum der Universität Ulm, Ulm, Germany. hermann.heimpel@uniklinik-ulm.de
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heimpel
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nebe
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017701:Reticulocyte Count / Q000379:methods*
references.citation: Cytometry. 1993;14(3):318-26
references.pmid: 8472608
references.citation: Semin Hematol. 1967 Oct;4(4):327-36
references.pmid: 4864985
references.citation: Sports Med. 2008;38(3):187-211
references.pmid: 18278982
references.citation: Am J Clin Pathol. 1950 Nov;20(11):1079-83
references.pmid: 14783090
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2005 Mar 10;352(10):1011-23
references.pmid: 15758012
references.citation: Blood. 1956 Apr;11(4):291-309
references.pmid: 13304119
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1962 Mar;41:554-67
references.pmid: 14467968
references.citation: Haematologica. 2008 Sep;93(9):1310-7
references.pmid: 18641031
references.citation: Anal Bioanal Chem. 2007 Aug;388(7):1521-9
references.pmid: 17516052
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1969 Mar;48(3):454-60
references.pmid: 5773083
references.citation: Cytometry. 1992;13(8):853-62
references.pmid: 1281066
references.citation: Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2000 Apr;37(2):93-130
references.pmid: 10811141
references.citation: Klin Wochenschr. 1968 May 1;46(9):490-7
references.pmid: 5674110
references.citation: Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1989 Jun;113(6):684-9
references.pmid: 2471489
references.citation: Acta Haematol. 2007;117(2):115-8
references.pmid: 17127819
references.citation: Am J Hematol. 1986 Nov;23(3):271-5
references.pmid: 3020978
references.citation: Am J Clin Pathol. 2002 Nov;118(5):787-93
references.pmid: 12428801
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1969 Mar;48(3):443-53
references.pmid: 5773082
references.citation: Clin Lab Med. 2002 Mar;22(1):63-79
references.pmid: 11933582
references.citation: Semin Hematol. 1971 Oct;8(4):367-96
references.pmid: 4942588
references.citation: Am J Hematol. 1989 Oct;32(2):81-7
references.pmid: 2474249
references.citation: Br J Haematol. 1969 Oct;17(4):313-5
references.pmid: 5346405
references.citation: Clin Lab Haematol. 1999 Dec;21(6):387-9
references.pmid: 10671990