Abstract
STUDY OF ERYTHROCYTE AND RETICULOCYTE INDICES AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Healthy kidneys secrete a variety of hormones, including erythropoietin (EPO). A hormone released in response to hypoxia in the renal circulation. EPO stimulates bone marrow to carry out erythropoiesis.Erythrocyte and reticulocyte indices are essential for diagnosis and monitoring of many types of anemia. The present study aimed to measure erythrocyte indices and reticulocyte indices among end stage chronic kidney disease. A descriptive case control study included 50 Sudanese patients; 62% were males and 38% were females, diagnosed with end stage kidney disease. Their mean age was 53.4 years. Fifty healthy individuals (58 % male and 42 % female) with mean age 51 years were also enrolled in this study as control group. Red blood cell indices (MCV, MCH and MCHC) were performed by automated hematology analyzer (Sysmex KXN21), while the reticulocyte count and reticulocyte production index (RPI) were performed by Supravital Staining Technique using New Methylene Blue. Data analyzed by statistical packing for social sciences program, SPSS 16.The patients group showed much higher significant results of MCV, MCH and reticulocyte count than the normal health control group (P. value 0.002, 0.000 and 0.000) respectively. Moreover, the MCH and RPI were showed no significant difference with P. values 0.287 and 0.106 respectively. To our knowledge , this was the first study has been done to assess the predictable value of reticulocyte indices as essential monitor for erythropoietin (EPO) therapy and patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD ).