RESUMEN
Measurement of reticulated platelet percentage (RP%) is thought to be a useful marker for differential diagnosis and analysis of platelet kinetics in patients with thrombocytopenic disorders. Two methods are used to detect RP; flow cytometric method and immature platelet fraction (IPF) method using automated hematology analyzers. Although IPF% measured by the automated hematology analyzers is simple and convenient, we already reported that IPF% values were highly fluctuated in stored whole blood sample with EDTA-2K at 4 degrees C day by day. In this study we investigated the stability of IPF% in blood samples obtained from 11 patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and 19 healthy volunteers using the automated hematology analyzer, XE-5000 (Sysmex) under various storage conditions. EDTA-2K, 3.13% sodium citrate, acid-citrate dextrose solution (ACD), citrate-theophylline-adenosine-dipyridamole solution (CTAD), or sodium fluoride was used as an anticoagulant. When blood samples obtained from healthy subjects were stored at 4 degrees C, IPF% values markedly increased in a time-dependent manner by any anticoagulant examined. On the other hand, there was no significant or only slight difference in IPF% values at room temperature (RT) storage except sodium fluoride. However, in patients with ITP the elevated IPF% values fluctuated widely in EDTA-2K, sodium citrate and ACD-anticoagulated samples even at RT storage. In contrast, IPF% values in CTAD samples stored at RT were highly stable in all patients with ITP up to 4 day storage. These results suggest that the measurement of IPF% by XE-5000 provides quite stable data up to 4 day-storage in ITP patients as well as healthy subjects under CTAD-anticoagulation and RT storage conditions.