Analysis and Interpretation of Automated Blood Count in the Treatment of Chronic Paracoccidioidomycosis

TL;DR

This study examines blood count changes in chronic paracoccidioidomycosis patients before and during treatment, revealing improvements in hematological parameters after clinical recovery.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into hematological profiles and treatment responses in chronic PCM patients using automated blood count analysis.

Findings

Anemia and monocytosis were common pre-treatment and decreased after clinical cure.

Hemoglobin and reticulocyte hemoglobin content increased during treatment.

Immature granulocytes and platelets decreased significantly after treatment.

Abstract

Blood count is crucial for assessing bone marrow’s cell production and differentiation during infections, gaging disease severity, and monitoring therapeutic responses. The profile of blood count in chronic forms of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) has been insufficiently explored. To better understand the changes in hematological cells in different stages of the PCM chronic form, we evaluated the blood count, including immature blood cells in automated equipment, before and during the treatment follow-up of 62 chronic PCM patients. Predominantly male (96.8%) with an average age of 54.3 (standard deviation SD 6.9) years, participants exhibited pre-treatment conditions such as anemia (45.2%), monocytosis (38.7%), and leukocytosis (17.7%), which became less frequent after clinical cure. Anemia was more prevalent in severe cases. Notably, hemoglobin and reticulocyte hemoglobin content increased, while leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, immature granulocytes, and platelets decreased. Chronic PCM induced manageable hematological abnormalities, mainly in the red blood series. Monocytosis, indicating monocytes’ role in PCM’s immune response, was frequent. Post-treatment, especially after achieving clinical cure, significant improvements were observed in various hematological indices, including immature granulocytes and reticulocyte hemoglobin content, underscoring the impact of infection on these parameters.

Figures