Alkhaldy Husain Y, A Awan Zuhier, Abouzaid Ahmed A, Elbahaie Hossameldin M, Al Amoudi Saeed M, Andarawi Mohamed, F Shehata Shehata
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Research Center for Advanced Materials Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Gen Med. 2020 Dec 3;13:1373-1379. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S284133. eCollection 2020.
Isolated neutropenia is a common problem in hematology practice. Benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN) is the common form of neutropenia worldwide and it affects mainly African and Middle Eastern ethnicities. Most cases of isolated mild and moderate neutropenia are benign and associated with no clinical significance. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of isolated neutropenia at high-altitude southern Saudi Arabia.
A large dataset of complete blood counts (CBCs) was analyzed for walk-in patients of both genders, of age ranges from 12 to 60 years doing blood tests at a commercial lab for high altitude - 2,270 meters above sea level - (HA) group, and from sea level SL group. Abnormal biochemical or CBC results were excluded before analysis.
For HA group, 3123 CBCs were analyzed and for SL group 18,427 CBCs were analyzed. The prevalence of mild neutropenia, defined as absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in the range of 1.0-.5× 10/L, was 12.4% (n=399) versus 5.6% (n=1025), while moderate neutropenia, defined as ANC of 0.5-1 × 10/L, was present 6% (n=191) versus 1.45% (n=269) in the high altitude and sea level groups, respectively. Severe neutropenia, defined as neutrophil count less than 0.5-1 × 10/L, was rare in both groups.
Isolated neutropenia is common in Saudis living at high altitude. While benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN) is thought to be the major contributing factor to this high prevalence, other factors including environmental factors and altitude are possible contributing factors along with underlying ethnic neutropenia.
孤立性中性粒细胞减少症是血液学实践中的常见问题。良性种族性中性粒细胞减少症（BEN）是全球中性粒细胞减少症的常见形式，主要影响非洲和中东种族。大多数孤立性轻度和中度中性粒细胞减少症病例是良性的，无临床意义。本研究的目的是估计沙特阿拉伯南部高海拔地区孤立性中性粒细胞减少症的患病率。
分析了一个大型全血细胞计数（CBC）数据集，该数据集来自年龄在12至60岁之间的男女门诊患者，他们在一家商业实验室进行血液检测，其中高海拔组（海拔2270米）有3123例CBC检测结果，海平面组（SL）有18427例CBC检测结果。在分析之前排除了异常的生化或CBC结果。
高海拔组分析了3123例CBC检测结果，海平面组分析了18427例CBC检测结果。轻度中性粒细胞减少症的患病率，定义为绝对中性粒细胞计数（ANC）在1.0 - 1.5×10⁹/L范围内，高海拔组为12.4%（n = 399），而海平面组为5.6%（n = 1025）；中度中性粒细胞减少症，定义为ANC为0.5 - 1×10⁹/L，高海拔组为6%（n = 191），海平面组为1.45%（n = 269）。两组中定义为中性粒细胞计数低于0.5×10⁹/L的严重中性粒细胞减少症均很少见。
孤立性中性粒细胞减少症在生活在高海拔地区的沙特人中很常见。虽然良性种族性中性粒细胞减少症（BEN）被认为是这种高患病率的主要促成因素，但包括环境因素和海拔在内的其他因素可能与潜在的种族性中性粒细胞减少症一起成为促成因素。
