title: Spurious reticulocyte profiles in dogs with large form babesiosis: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Erroneously high reticulocyte counts (pseudoreticulocytosis) have been reported in dogs with leukemia. Pseudoreticulocytosis and an abnormal reticulocyte profile were observed in a dog with large form babesiosis presented at our institution.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this retrospective study were to determine if dogs with babesiosis and other dogs had abnormal reticulocyte profiles, and to correlate these profiles with the primary diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All canine CBCs obtained with the Sysmex XT-2000iV or Procyte DX were reviewed. Cases of large form babesiosis were identified and their reticulocyte dot plots were analyzed. Dogs with abnormal reticulocyte profiles but without microscopically apparent intraerythrocytic Babesia piroplasms were identified. The reticulocyte profiles and fluorescence ratios of dogs with and without babesiosis were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty of 92 dogs with babesiosis had abnormal reticulocyte profiles, including 8 with a separation between the reticulocyte and mature RBC plots or a continuum of reticulocytes from the RBC plot but with a higher density of dots in the middle of the "comet tail" than in the left quarter of the dot plot. Thirteen of 6980 dogs without Babesia on the blood smear had abnormal reticulocyte profiles, including 3 with leukemia. The medium-fluorescence reticulocyte ratios tended to be higher in dogs with babesiosis and abnormal dot plots than in other dogs, whereas the high-fluorescence ratio was higher in one dog with leukemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abnormal reticulocyte dot plots and atypical reticulocyte fluorescence ratios may occur in dogs with babesiosis and alert clinical pathologists to consider this diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Equipe de Biologie Médicale-Histologie, CREFRE, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, UPS, ENVT, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piane
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Unité de Médecine Interne, Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, ENVT, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.affiliation: Equipe de Biologie Médicale-Histologie, CREFRE, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, UPS, ENVT, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourges-Abella
authors.affiliation: Equipe de Biologie Médicale-Histologie, CREFRE, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, UPS, ENVT, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trumel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D017701:Reticulocyte Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000166:cytology; D045262:Reticulocytosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: 
  Babesia
  ; dot plots; pseudoreticulocytosis; reticulocyte fluorescence ratios