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Scan to discover onlineBackground & Objective: Coronavirus is an enveloped RNA virus that mainly causes respiratory infection. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab is the confirmatory diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection. The relationship between SARS-COV-2 and body fluid parameters is still not known. There have been few studies regarding the correlation between urine biochemical parameters and SARS-COV-2 infection. The aim of the study is to determine the importance of urinary biochemical parameters in SARS-COV-2 infection and whether these parameters can be used to predict the severity of the infection.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study consisting of total of 285 patients diagnosed with SARS-COV-2 infection. The patients were divided into three groups according to the severity of infection as mild (120 cases), moderate (110 cases) and severe (55 cases). During the study period 72 healthy persons were enrolled as controls. Analysis was done to find any relationship between various urine biochemical parameters and the severity of SARS-COV-2 infection.Results: Urinary occult blood (U. Blood) and Urinary protein (U. Pro) have higher positive rates in SARS-COV-2 patients as compared with healthy controls. Among the severities of SARS-COV-2 infection (mild, moderate and severe), both these parameters were significantly higher. Glucose (Glu) and Ketone (Ket) positivity rate was more in moderate cases of SARS-COV-2 than mild cases.Conclusion: Urinary biochemical parameters are very useful in identification of SARS-COV-2 infection and also have the advantage in evaluating the progression in patients infected with SARS-COV-2. Among the different parameters, Urinary Occult Blood and Urinary protein are significant in the differentiation of SARS-COV-2 severity.

Introduction: Reduced numbers of all three types of peripheral blood cells characterise the hematologic condition known as pancytopenia. Practical distinction among various causes of pancytopenia is usually clear but some processes are so closely related that the diagnosis may get complicated and bone marrow examination aids in diagnosis of such cases.It is important to recognise marrow failure syndromes causing pancytopenia. Pancytopenia is a common finding, its explicit discussion is lacking even in major textbooks and has led many authors to highlight the spectrum of causes of pancytopenia. Aim: To evaluate the various causes of pancytopenia and to evaluate clinical signs and symptoms, hematological parameters along with bone marrow cellularity and other morphological features on aspiration and trephine biopsy in patients presenting with pancytopenia. Materials and Methods: In the present cross-sectional study for a period of 3.5 years from August 2018 to April 2022, a total 157 patients were included having pancytopenia in a tertiary care centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Clinical history was taken for all the cases of pancytopenia. The blood samples were collected for hematological analysis including hemogram and Peripheral Blood Smear (PBS) examination; also Bone Marrow (BM) samples were collected. Aspirates were stained with Leishman and Giemsa. Special stains like myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Periodic acid schiff stain (PAS) were used wherever required. Bone marrow biopsy was fixed in Bouin’s fluid and processed and stained with Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and reticulin stain after decalcification. Results were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software (version 26.0) and calculated as frequencies and percentages. P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 157 patients, majority (n=120) belonged to adult age group (18-86 years) (76.43%), with the mean age of 40.68±23.34 years. The male to female ratio was 1.34:1. Study showed megaloblastic anaemia encompassing majority of the causes of pancytopenia followed by acute leukemia, hypersplenism, hypocellular marrow, Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and Aplastic anaemia. Out of 86 (54.78%) of total majority of hypercellular bone marrow patients, 51 (59.3%) had haemoglobin levels of <7 g/dL, while 45 (52.32%) hypercellular bone marrow patients had platelet count of <50000 cells/cumm. Patients with low TLC weresignificantly associated with hypo (p=0.0067) and hypercellular marrow (p=0.0291) compared to normocellular marrow. For reticulocyte count an increasing trend with low reticulocyte count was seen from normocellular (n=4, 6.9%) to hypocellular (n=12, 20.7%) to hypercellular (n=19, 32.8%) bone marrow,though it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: It was concluded in the present study that megaloblastic anemia was the most common etiology of pancytopenia and the commonest clinical symptoms observed was fever.

Though reference haematological parameters are defined for neonates, ranges vary in preterm. Few data are available regarding the premature population during the first month of life. Objective: To observe the variation in haematological parameters concerning different gestational ages, birth weights and gender among preterm neonates admitted to NICU with common illnesses like respiratory distress (RDS), neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NNH) and sepsis in a tertiary care hospital. A total of ninety preterm neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were analyzed over two years. Complete blood counts were obtained, grouped and analyzed according to the underlying diagnosis of sepsis, NNH and RDS. Clinical data were also extracted. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25. Mean, Chi-square test and ANOVA tests were used for data analysis. P value <0.05 was considered significant. Result: Variation was seen concerning gestational age and birth weight. Eosinophils were significantly decreased in LBW, while a decrease in neutrophils and an increase in lymphocyte count were seen in EPT. Haemoglobin and RBC indices also showed significant variation according to birth weight. Conclusions research complete blood counts of preterm depend on the degree of prematurity, birth weight, and other clinical findings.

Introduction:Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by Human Immunodeficiency virus leading to profound immunosuppression and its consequences. Depletion of CD4+ T cells is a hallmark of AIDS apart from anaemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia. Monitoring of CD4 count is crucial for an effective treatment. Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) less than 1000/µl i.e. lymphopenia correlates with lower CD4 counts as per various studies and recommendation by the WHO. Detection of lymphopenia and measurement of ALC are routinely obtained parameters using a basic haematology analyser. This study was done to evaluate the role of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) as an alternative to CD4 count in HIV positive patients. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted for the period of two years in the department of Pathology of a tertiary care hospital in western India. 110 HIV positive patients consenting to be the part of the study were included. Complete blood counts (CBC), CD4 and CD8 counts were done for all patients following stringent quality control protocols. Statistical analysis was done to evaluate the correlation between various parameters. Results : 65.5% cases had lymphopenia with an absolute CD4 count <200cells/µl. Using ROC curve, we found that ALC of less than 575/µl has a significant statistical association with CD4 count of less than 200/µl.Correlation of lymphopenia with CD4:CD8 ratio was not found to be statistically significant in our study. Conclusion : ALC can be considered as a cost effective alternative to absolute CD4 counts in the monitoring of HIV positive patients.