Study proposes CBC flag for sample interference in dogs

A new study in the Journal of Small Animal Practice proposes a practical quality-check for canine CBC interpretation on the Siemens ADVIA 2120: the difference between mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and mean cellular haemoglobin concentration, reported as ΔMCHC-CHCM. Researchers at the University of Bologna established a reference interval of -1.70 to 2.20 g/dL in healthy dogs and found that higher values were most often linked to lipaemic or haemolytic samples. They also reported that values at or above 2.5 g/dL were seen more often in dogs receiving corticosteroids and in dogs with Cushing’s syndrome, leading the authors to recommend that a result above 2.5 g/dL should trigger further review. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the finding gives labs and clinicians a clearer threshold for deciding when an apparently abnormal haemoglobin concentration may reflect sample interference rather than true red cell pathology. That could help reduce misinterpretation of CBCs, prompt closer inspection for haemolysis or lipaemia, and add context when evaluating dogs on glucocorticoids or being worked up for hypercortisolism. The paper also reinforces a broader clinical pathology point: analyser-derived erythrocyte indices are useful, but they still need to be interpreted alongside sample quality, smear review, chemistry data, and the patient’s history. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Whether diagnostic laboratories begin routinely flagging ΔMCHC-CHCM values above 2.5 g/dL on ADVIA-based canine CBC reports, and whether similar cut-offs are validated on other haematology platforms. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)