Assessment of Peripheral Blood Blast Count and Selected Hematological Parameters before and During Chemotherapy of Acute Leukemia Patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Date
2021-07
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: the assessment of peripheral blood blast count, some hematological parameters in acute
leukemia is not researched well in developing countries although, nowadays leukemia is the main concern
in these countries.
Objective: to assess the value of peripheral blood blast count, selected hematological parameters before
and during chemotherapy of acute leukemia patients at Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital (TASH), Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in acute leukemia patients at Tikur Anbessa
Specialized Hospital from February to December 2020to assess the change in selected hematological
parameters at three different times after taking first induction treatment. Complete blood cell count (CBC)
and peripheral blood morphology of those patients were investigated in three different time points which
starts in initial diagnosis, next at 7 and 14 days of induction treatment. Bone marrow analysis data extracted
from pathology department at the beginning of patient diagnosis. Data were entered and analyzed using
SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to describe socio-demographic factors, chi square test of
association was run for categorical variables and paired t-test and ANOVA was also used to compare pre
and during induction blast counts and selected hematological parameters. P values less than 0.05 was used
to declare statistical significance.
Result: 30 newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients aged 2 to 69 years were enrolled in this investigation.
In this study age group is related with that of leukemia type. Some of the hematological parameters are
assessed during the three time period. White blood cell (WBC), Blast count, Platelet, but not the other
hematologic parameters before the administration of chemotherapy are statistically different with those
values of day 7 and day 14 after starting chemotherapy. However, the two parameters WBC (50700, 5200,
2180 cells/ul) and Blast cell count (29700, 3150, 150cells/ ul) at the three time points show a significant
effect for time. The respective values for Platelets were 92700, 37100, 55900 cells/ul.
Conclusion: blast count and WBC which was counted (mean ± SD) at day 7 and 14 of induction treatment
has a significant value to assess the response of the patient by the treatment. Therefore it should be used as
a surrogate marker in the course of induction treatment. In contrast other hematological parameters did not
show an effect on the response of the patient by the treatment. Analysis of larger sample size with other
additional tests like immunological, biochemical, cytogenetic and flowcytometry should be done on this
area of study.
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Keywords
Blast count, hematological parameters, acute leukemia, Ethiopia