Canine reticulocyte hemoglobin content (RET‐He) in different types of iron‐deficient erythropoiesis

• Published in: Veterinary clinical pathology Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 422 - 429
• Main Authors: Fuchs, Jannika, Moritz, Andreas, Grußendorf, Esther, Lechner, Jörg, Neuerer, Felix, Nickel, Rafael, Rieker, Thomas, Schwedes, Claudia, DeNicola, Dennis B., Russell, James, Bauer, Natali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2017
• Subjects: Anemia; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - blood; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - veterinary; Animals; Blood Cell Count - veterinary; Diseases; dog; Dog Diseases - blood; Dogs; Erythropoiesis; Erythropoiesis - physiology; Female; hematology; Hemoglobin; Hemoglobins - analysis; inflammatory disease; Iron; Male; Nutrient deficiency; portosystemic shunt; Reticulocytes - chemistry; Retrospective Studies; Veterinary medicine; inflammatory disease; portosystemic shunt; hematology; Anemia; dog
• ISSN: 0275-6382; 1939-165X
• DOI: 10.1111/vcp.12499

Background Reticulocyte hemoglobin content (RET‐He) is a diagnostic marker for iron deficiency (ID) in people and dogs. Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical utility of RET‐He in the diagnosis of different causes of iron‐deficient erythropoiesis (IDE). Methods Canine CBCs were separated into 2 groups according to RET‐He values, < 20.9 pg or ≥ 20.9 pg. Erythrocyte and reticulocyte variables were compared between dogs with decreased and normal RET‐He values. Additional data for a subgroup of dogs were collected, and dogs with low RET‐He values were categorized as having ID, inflammatory disorders (INFL), portosystemic shunt (PSS), miscellaneous diseases (MISC), or combinations of these diseases (ID+INFL, ID+PSS). Hematologic variables were compared between dogs of the different disease groups. Results Overall, 10.3% (1084/10,553) of canine CBCs showed decreased RET‐He values. Significant differences between dogs with decreased and normal RET‐He values were found for all erythrocyte and reticulocyte variables. The majority (68.9%, 747/1084) of dogs with low RET‐He values was anemic; 28.9% (216/747) of those anemic dogs had microcytosis and hypochromasia. In the subgroup of dogs, 8.9% (205/2306) had low RET‐He values. According to their diagnosed diseases, anemic dogs (138/205) could be categorized as ID (17/138; 12.3%), INFL (16/138; 11.6%), PSS (30/138; 21.7%), ID+INFL (63/138; 45.7%), ID+PSS (8/138; 5.8%), and MISC (4/138; 2.9%). Distribution in nonanemic dogs (67/205) was similar, except for a lower number of dogs with PSS. Conclusions Low RET‐He values indicate IDE even in dogs with other CBC variables within the RIs.