title: Clinical utility of reticulocyte parameters.
abstract: The reticulocyte count reflects the erythropoietic activity of bone marrow and is thus useful in both diagnosing anemias and monitoring bone marrow response to therapy. Automated flow-cytometric analysis has led to a significant advance in reticulocyte counting, by simultaneously providing additional parameters and indices such as the reticulocyte immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), the reticulocyte volume, and the hemoglobin content and concentration. IRF has been proposed as an early marker of engraftment. Reticulocyte hemoglobin content is useful in assessing the functional iron available for erythropoiesis, and reticulocyte volume is a useful indicator when monitoring the therapeutic response of anemias.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy. Electronic address: elisa.piva@sanita.padova.it.
authors: Elisa
authors: E
authors: Piva
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, BA 760, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Brugnara
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Spolaore
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Plebani
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D017701:Reticulocyte Count / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007501:Iron
keywords: Immature reticulocyte fraction; Reticulocyte; Reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration; Reticulocyte hemoglobin content; Reticulocyte maturation; Reticulocyte volume