title: Clinical Applications of Automated Reticulocyte Indices.
abstract: Automated analysis of reticulocytes provides pathologists and clinicians with several new parameters, which need to be evaluated for their role in the diagnosis and management of diseases. We review here the current knowledge on reticulocyte cell volume, hemoglobin concentration and content. Several studies have provided reference values for reticulocyte cell volume (MCVr), cell hemoglobin concentration (CHCMr) and cell hemoglobin content (CHr). Data are available on the changes of these indices in iron deficiency and megaloblastic anemias and their response to therapy. CHr has been shown to be an early indicator of functional irondeficiency in subjects treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO). Reticulocyte changes have also been described in the early phases of hydroxyurea therapy for sickle cell disease and in bone marrow transplantation. The real-time information provided by reticulocyte indices on the functional state of the erythroid marrow is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of several hematological disorders and in the use of r-HuEPO.
authors.affiliation: a Research Center for the Development and Clinical Evaluation of Automated Methods in Hematology, Department of Hematology , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy ; Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology , Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'onofrio
authors.affiliation: a Research Center for the Development and Clinical Evaluation of Automated Methods in Hematology, Department of Hematology , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy ; Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology , Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zini
authors.affiliation: a Research Center for the Development and Clinical Evaluation of Automated Methods in Hematology, Department of Hematology , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy ; Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology , Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brugnara
keywords: Reticulocyte; automated hematology; immature reticulocyte fraction