Early signs of impaired erythrocyte maturation provided in a complete blood count in the absence of anemia

Objective of the Study. To evaluate the possibility of identifying a tendency towards the development of hematopoietic disorders and preliminary assessment of their etiology before establishing anemia based on traditional criteria: in the absence of the main criterion for anemia — decreased concentration of total hemoglobin — identify and compare signs of erythrogenesis pathology in the values of other indicators from the complete blood count. Material and methods . A retrospective observational single-center cross-sectional study of erythropoiesis efficiency indicators based on complete blood count results in a population of neurosurgical patients. The values of reticulocyte hemoglobin, delta hemoglobin, and erythrocyte indices (MCV, MCH) were assessed in the absence of formal signs of anemia. Results . Even before the development of laboratory-confirmed anemia, signs of hematopoietic disorders can be traced in the values of reticulocyte hemoglobin, erythrocyte indices, and total hemoglobin, suggesting some pathology in the maturation of the erythroid lineage. The values of these parameters reveal characteristics of different types of anemia — macrocytic hyperchromic and microcytic hypochromic. Conclusion . Deviations in reticulocyte hemoglobin and delta hemoglobin from reference intervals at physiological hemoglobin levels may have independent diagnostic significance. It is reasonable to consider the possibility of early diagnosis of anemias based on these indicators from the complete blood count, which are currently regarded as secondary relative to changes in total hemoglobin concentration.