Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2021 Jan;51(4):999-1006. doi: 10.1638/2020-0109.
Anticoagulants are employed to prevent clotting and preserve cellular morphology for clinical pathology tests. Lithium heparin (LH) is the most frequently used anticoagulant in chelonians; however, dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) may be superior in some species. Although eastern box turtles' () hematologic parameters are well studied, the effects of different anticoagulants on hematology in this species are unknown. This study evaluated the effects of LH and EDTA on hematologic values in free-living eastern box turtles ( = 59). Blood samples were collected from eastern box turtles in Illinois and immediately divided between LH and EDTA microtainers, and complete blood counts were performed on each sample. Grossly, plasma from EDTA blood samples was frequently and significantly hemolyzed. Blood mixed with LH had higher packed cell volume (PCV) ( = 0.04), white blood cell count (WBC) determined by Leukopet ( < 0.0001), WBC determined by blood film estimate ( < 0.0001), absolute heterophils ( = 0.007), absolute lymphocytes ( < 0.0001), and lower total solids ( < 0.0001) and absolute monocytes ( = 0.0001) than blood mixed with EDTA. All relative leukocyte counts were significantly different between the anticoagulants ( < 0.0001). EDTA apparently lysed turtle erythrocytes in this study, making it difficult to accurately count white blood cells and artificially lowering PCV. These findings demonstrate that EDTA should not be used in eastern box turtles.
抗凝血剂用于预防凝血和保持临床病理学测试中的细胞形态。肝素锂（LH）是龟鳖类中最常用的抗凝剂；然而，乙二胺四乙酸二钾（EDTA）在某些物种中可能更优越。虽然东部箱龟的血液学参数研究得很好，但不同抗凝剂对该物种血液学的影响尚不清楚。本研究评估了 LH 和 EDTA 对自由生活的东部箱龟（n = 59）血液学值的影响。从伊利诺伊州的东部箱龟采集血液样本，并立即将其分为 LH 和 EDTA 微量管，对每个样本进行全血细胞计数。大体上，EDTA 血液样本的血浆经常且显著溶血。与 LH 混合的血液具有更高的红细胞压积（PCV）（= 0.04）、Leukopet 测定的白细胞计数（WBC）（< 0.0001）、血涂片估计的 WBC（< 0.0001）、绝对嗜中性粒细胞（= 0.007）、绝对淋巴细胞（< 0.0001）、总固体（< 0.0001）和绝对单核细胞（= 0.0001）较低，而与 EDTA 混合的血液。所有相对白细胞计数在抗凝剂之间均有显著差异（< 0.0001）。在本研究中，EDTA 显然使龟鳖类的红细胞裂解，难以准确计数白细胞并人为降低 PCV。这些发现表明 EDTA 不应在东部箱龟中使用。
