Segmented neutrophil size and platelet morphology in HIV/AIDS patients.

OBJECTIVE

A study was conducted to determine if HIV/AIDS patients have smaller than normal size neutrophils and increased prevalence of abnormal platelet morphology.

DESIGN

Wright's-stained peripheral blood smears from 100 HIV/ AIDS patients were evaluated for size of segmented neutrophils and degree of abnormal platelet morphology.

SETTING

East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.

PARTICIPANTS

The study subjects consisted of 100 HIV/AIDS patients seen in an outpatient clinic in a teaching hospital in an academic health center. Peripheral blood smears were made from EDTA tubes drawn as a part of a routine immunology panel.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Segmented neutrophils from each of ten oil immersion fields were measured for diameter with a micrometer and the average diameter calculated. In addition, any platelet morphology abnormality, which was noted in at least five oil immersion fields, was recorded. One researcher evaluated one slide on each patient, and the second researcher randomly selected 20% of the subjects and performed the same procedure on a second slide for quality assurance of results.

RESULTS

A segmented neutrophil mean diameter of 15.1 microns was found. Though this mean is a mere 0.1 microns above the upper limit of the normal range of 10 to 15 microns, 53% of the patients had an observed average diameter above 15 microns. The HIV/AIDS patients' mean diameter was statistically different when compared to a normal population mean of 12.0 microns (T-test = 16.15, p < .0001), thus, showing a tendency for HIV/AIDS patients' segmented neutrophils to be large. Over half of the study subjects demonstrated abnormal platelet morphology including agranularity, small size, and giant size.

CONCLUSION

Neutrophil size as based on cell diameter, was found to be significantly larger for a sample of HIV/AIDS patients than the normal mean size. There was also a tendency for platelet morphology to be abnormal.