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Haematological investigation is an important component of stress and immune response assessment and holds great potential for evaluating amphibian welfare. The olm (Proteus anguinus) is a neotenic, cave-dwelling salamander endemic to the Dinaric Karst and classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. The aim of the present study was to gain basic knowledge about the haematology of this endangered species and to establish reference values of leucocyte differential counts. Blood smears were obtained from recently captured animals and compared to smears from the same animals in long-term captivity (up to five years). The elongated erythrocytes are nucleated and are among the largest in vertebrates, which is also reflected in their lower concentration per millilitre of blood. The circulating blood can contain mitotically active, immature erythrocytes (erythroblasts), indicating that erythrocytes of the olm can undergo proliferation and maturation in circulating blood. Olms show a typical urodele leucocyte profile, with lymphocytes predominating, followed by neutrophils, although the proportion of lymphocytes is higher than in other urodeles. Eosinophil and monocyte counts were relatively low, while basophils were nearly absent. We found no statistically significant differences in leucocyte counts or in neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio neither between recently captured olms and same animals during captivity nor between the sexes, except for lower neutrophil count in captive females. Thus, no differences in stress levels between recently captured olms and captive olms were detected via haematological investigations. The significance of these results is discussed in the context of detecting stress and immune responses in olms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents the epidemiological data and clinical manifestations of blood parasitic infections in cattle. A total of 130 blood samples were collected from animals exhibiting clinical signs suggestive of blood parasitic infection. Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed an overall infection rate of 46.2% among the examined cattle. Theileria sp. infections were found to be the most prevalent, with an overall prevalence of 40%. Babesia sp. infections had a lower overall prevalence of 6.2%, Microscopic examination also highlighted the intracellular localization of Theileria and Babesia parasites within red blood cells. The infected red blood cells exhibited morphological changes, appearing enlarged and distorted compared to unaffected cells. The study analyzed the risk factors for Theileria sp. and Babesia sp. infections in cattle, specifically focusing on age and gender. The prevalence of Theileria sp. infection was highest in cattle less than one year, with no significant difference observed among different age groups or genders. Similarly, there was no significant difference in Babesia sp. infection rates based on age or gender. These results provide valuable insights into the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of blood parasitic infections in cattle. The findings can contribute to the development of effective control and prevention strategies, highlighting the importance of regular surveillance and management practices in mitigating the impact of these infections on cattle health and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microscopy of stained blood smears is still a ubiquitous technique in pathology. It is often used in addition to automated electronic counters or flow cytometers to evaluate leukocytes and their morphologies in a rather simple manner and has low requirements for resources and equipment. However, despite the constant advances in microscopy, computer science, and pathology, it still usually follows the traditional approach of manual assessment by humans. We aimed to extend this technique using AI-based automated cell recognition methods while maintaining its technical simplicity. Using the web platform IKOSA, we developed an AI-based workflow to segment and identify all blood cells in DAPI-Giemsa co-stained blood smears. Thereby, we could automatically detect and classify neutrophils (young and segmented), lymphocytes, eosinophils, and monocytes, in addition to erythrocytes and platelets, in contrast to previously published algorithms, which usually focus on only one type of blood cell. Furthermore, our method delivers quantitative measurements, unattainable by the classical method or formerly published AI techniques, and it provides more sophisticated analyses based on entropy or gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs), which have the potential to monitor changes in internal cellular structures associated with disease states or responses to treatment. We conclude that AI-based automated blood cell evaluation has the potential to facilitate and improve routine diagnostics by adding quantitative shape and structure parameters to simple leukocyte counts of classical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microscopy of stained blood smears is still a ubiquitous technique in pathology. It is often used in addition to automated electronic counters or flow cytometers to evaluate leukocytes and their morphologies in a rather simple manner and has low requirements for resources and equipment. However, despite the constant advances in microscopy, computer science, and pathology, it still usually follows the traditional approach of manual assessment by humans. We aimed to extend this technique using AI-based automated cell recognition methods while maintaining its technical simplicity. Using the web platform IKOSA, we developed an AI-based workflow to segment and identify all blood cells in DAPI-Giemsa co-stained blood smears. Thereby, we could automatically detect and classify neutrophils (young and segmented), lymphocytes, eosinophils, and monocytes, in addition to erythrocytes and platelets, in contrast to previously published algorithms, which usually focus on only one type of blood cell. Furthermore, our method delivers quantitative measurements, unattainable by the classical method or formerly published AI techniques, and it provides more sophisticated analyses based on entropy or gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs), which have the potential to monitor changes in internal cellular structures associated with disease states or responses to treatment. We conclude that AI-based automated blood cell evaluation has the potential to facilitate and improve routine diagnostics by adding quantitative shape and structure parameters to simple leukocyte counts of classical analysis.

Leukocyte profiles are broadly used to assess the health status of many species. Reference intervals, and an understanding of the factors that may influence these intervals, are necessary for adequate interpretation of leukograms. Using a data set that spans over three decades, we investigated variation in leukocyte profile in several populations of the evolutionarily unique reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). To do this, we first established reference intervals for each leukocyte type according to best practices. Next, we determined that source population and sampling date were the two most important predictors of leukocyte makeup. We found significant differences in the ratio of heterophils: lymphocytes (H:L) between populations, with tuatara on the more resource‐stressed sampling island having a significantly higher ratio of H:L. Finally, we found that sampling location, sex, and life stage did not explain variation in the responses of tuatara to stimulation with Concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide in both 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐di‐phenyltetrazolium bromide and Griess assay experiments. Our results offer important insight into the function of leukocytes in reptiles. Research Highlight: We established leukocyte reference intervals for tuatara and found that island and sampling date were the most important predictors of leukocyte makeup. Tuatara in more resource‐stressed populations had higher H:L ratios, but were able to mount immune response despite poor body condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interesting clinical case of leptospirosis infection in an elderly woman with a professional way of getting infection on the background of alcohol abuse has been described. The authors emphasized the clinical features of this bacterial zoonosis, considered aspects of differential diagnosis of leptospirosis with other common infectious diseases. It has been emphasized on the intricacies of a detailed epidemiological anamnesis taking in order to identify and evaluate biorisk factors for pathogenic leptospira con­tami­nation in a particular occupational environment. It has been pointed out the necessity of a complex laboratory-instrumental investigation in the infectious hospital, since the delay of hospitalization and adequate treatment can worsen the prognosis for a favorable outcome of the clinical case and recovery. Such specific laboratory methods for verifying leptospiras in the blood of patients as a reaction of microagglutination and lysis with a kit of leptospira and bacterioscopic examination of a smear in the dark field are of high sensitivity and specificity and therefore are widely used in clinical practice.

Background and Aim: A drawback of studies on bat blood smears in the field is the lack of time for fixation because blood sampling using a non-lethal method often provides less time for fixation in smear preparations due to the small volume of blood collected. Usually, there is insufficient blood for another smear preparation, so it is necessary to use blood smears as rationally as possible, especially for rare bats. Many stains are used for staining peripheral blood smears, and they have advantages and disadvantages. This study aimed to examine commonly used stains for blood smears to select the best stain for staining peripheral blood smears in bats. Materials and Methods: In this study, 48 blood smears of Rhinolophus spp. bats were examined using several blood staining methods. Four methods that showed the best results were used in further experiments: Romanowsky-Giemsa, Pappenheim, hematoxylin-eosin, and eosin methylene blue. Results: Comparative analysis of different methods for staining bat blood smears revealed that the most convenient method for analyzing blood cells is Pappenheim method. Conclusion: Staining blood smears using Pappenheim method yield the least number of unsuccessful blood smear stains and are quite effective for the morphological analysis of blood cells.

Background: We aimed to find out the allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 among gold miners in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia using parasites’ DNA isolated from archived RDT and GSBS Methods: This study was done using the samples collected between 2017-2020 from health centers in Subdistrict of Mihing Raya, Danau Rawah, and Bukit Hindu as well as Kapuas District Health Laboratory in Central Kalimantan Province, Surabaya, Indonesia. Parasites DNA were isolated from RDT cartridges and GSBS of local and migrant gold miners. Species of Plasmodium were confirmed by single step PCR. The allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 (K1, MAD20, RO33) and Pfmsp-2 (3D7, FC27) were analyzed by nested PCR. Results: Pfmsp-1 gene was found in only two (22.22%) out of 9 local samples, and 3 (27.27%) out of 11 migrant samples were found positive for K1 (150 bp) as well as MAD 20 (190 bp) allelic families. Pfmsp-2 gene were found in each one sample of 550 bp fragment in local (11.11%) and migrant samples (9.09%) for 3D7, and 2 samples of 300 bp fragments in local (22.22%) and 3 samples of 300 bp in migrant samples (27.27%). No difference in size and number of infections between both populations. The RO33 allelic family Alhamdulillah was not found in any sample. Conclusion: Low allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 genes with monogenotype indicated the low intensity of malaria transmission among gold miners in the studied areas. Further, the transmission may occur locally in the mining sites.

Background: We aimed to find out the allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 among gold miners in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia using parasites' DNA isolated from archived RDT and GSBS Methods: This study was done using the samples collected between 2017-2020 from health centers in Subdistrict of Mihing Raya, Danau Rawah, and Bukit Hindu as well as Kapuas District Health Laboratory in Central Kalimantan Province, Surabaya, Indonesia. Parasites DNA were isolated from RDT cartridges and GSBS of local and migrant gold miners. Species of Plasmodium were confirmed by single step PCR. The allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 (K1, MAD20, RO33) and Pfmsp-2 (3D7, FC27) were analyzed by nested PCR. Results: Pfmsp-1 gene was found in only two (22.22%) out of 9 local samples, and 3 (27.27%) out of 11 migrant samples were found positive for K1 (150 bp) as well as MAD 20 (190 bp) allelic families. Pfmsp-2 gene were found in each one sample of 550 bp fragment in local (11.11%) and migrant samples (9.09%) for 3D7, and 2 samples of 300 bp fragments in local (22.22%) and 3 samples of 300 bp in migrant samples (27.27%). No difference in size and number of infections between both populations. The RO33 allelic family Alhamdulillah was not found in any sample. Conclusion: Low allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 genes with monogenotype indicated the low intensity of malaria transmission among gold miners in the studied areas. Further, the transmission may occur locally in the mining sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To perform a diagnostic assessment of a point-of-care veterinary multiuse platform integrated with a model comprised of deep-learning, convolutional neural network algorithms for evaluating canine/feline peripheral blood smears compared to board-certified clinical pathologists (CPs)., Methods: This study had a blinded, randomized, incomplete block design, and results were compared between CPs and algorithms. Blood smears from convenience samples from veterinary diagnostic reference laboratories from October to December 2021 were used. Study phase A comprised 2 parts: (1) object class identifier algorithm (leukocytes, platelets, polychromatophils, and nucleated erythrocytes) versus CP within the same field of view (FOV); and (2) monolayer detection algorithm plus object class identifier algorithm versus CPs with different FOVs. Study phase B comprised algorithms versus CP for platelet clump identification. Study phase C comprised algorithms versus CP for polychromatophil identification. Metrics including sensitivity, specificity, and agreement were used., Results: The sample size was 59 dogs and 60 cats in phase A, 92 dogs and 69 cats in phase B, and 47 dogs and 12 cats in phase C. For study phase A, part 1, the 5-part leukocyte differential count agreement was 96.6% for canine and 91.7% for feline blood smears, and for part 2, the agreement for estimated total leukocyte, platelet, polychromatophil, and nucleated erythrocyte counts ranged from 70% to 95% across species. In study phase B, the algorithm had 90% sensitivity and 88% specificity. The algorithm for polychromatophils had 100% agreement with CP results in phase C., Conclusions: This platform achieved results comparable to those of CPs. Results are meant to complement automated CBC results., Clinical Relevance: Veterinarians may add this assessment as part of their standard in-clinic hematology analysis for patients.

An interesting clinical case of leptospirosis infection in an elderly woman with a professional way of getting infection on the background of alcohol abuse has been described. The authors emphasized the clinical features of this bacterial zoonosis, considered aspects of differential diagnosis of leptospirosis with other common infectious diseases. It has been emphasized on the intricacies of a detailed epidemiological anamnesis taking in order to identify and evaluate biorisk factors for pathogenic leptospira contamination in a particular occupational environment. It has been pointed out the necessity of a complex laboratory-instrumental investigation in the infectious hospital, since the delay of hospitalization and adequate treatment can worsen the prognosis for a favorable outcome of the clinical case and recovery. Such specific laboratory methods for verifying leptospiras in the blood of patients as a reaction of microagglutination and lysis with a kit of leptospira and bacterioscopic examination of a smear in the dark field are of high sensitivity and specificity and therefore are widely used in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: A drawback of studies on bat blood smears in the field is the lack of time for fixation because blood sampling using a non-lethal method often provides less time for fixation in smear preparations due to the small volume of blood collected. Usually, there is insufficient blood for another smear preparation, so it is necessary to use blood smears as rationally as possible, especially for rare bats. Many stains are used for staining peripheral blood smears, and they have advantages and disadvantages. This study aimed to examine commonly used stains for blood smears to select the best stain for staining peripheral blood smears in bats. Materials and Methods: In this study, 48 blood smears of Rhinolophus spp. bats were examined using several blood staining methods. Four methods that showed the best results were used in further experiments: Romanowsky-Giemsa, Pappenheim, hematoxylin-eosin, and eosin methylene blue. Results: Comparative analysis of different methods for staining bat blood smears revealed that the most convenient method for analyzing blood cells is Pappenheim method. Conclusion: Staining blood smears using Pappenheim method yield the least number of unsuccessful blood smear stains and are quite effective for the morphological analysis of blood cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Canine babesiosis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by ticks of the Ixodidae family. The effects of infection in dogs can range from the subclinical to the severe lethal form. This study aimed to make an original contribution to the knowledge of circulating species of Babesia spp. in dogs in the region of Algiers as well as mechanisms and risk factors for their transmission. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological study was carried out on 189 blood samples taken from dogs from April 2015 to January 2016. The samples taken underwent parasitological by Giemsa-stained blood smear and serological analyzes by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The ticks were looked on all the dogs taken. Results: Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed the presence of two groups of parasites of the genus Babesia: Large Babesia (3/25, 12%) and small Babesia (22/25, 88%). The IFAT at a dilution of 1/32 showed an overall seroprevalence with Babesia canis of 17.98% (95% confidence interval 11.53-22.46). The distribution of the antibody titers for the positive samples showed that of the 34 positive sera with a titer ≥1/32, 28 sera remained positive at a dilution of 1/64 (14.81%), 22 at a dilution of 1/128 (11.64%) and 15 sera remained positive at a dilution of 1/256 (7.93%). Although seroprevalence varied according to canine population (20% and 19.49% in pet dogs and canine pound dogs, respectively, and 6.66-0% in farm dogs and hunting dogs, respectively), statistical analysis showed no significant differences between populations. The antibody titers obtained after several dilutions showed that 22 canine pound dog sera remained positive at a dilution of 1/128 compared to pet dogs and farm dogs which ceased to be positive at the dilution of 1/64. The comparison between the two diagnostic methods showed a strong agreement between the parasitological examination by blood smear and the serological method by IFAT. However, IFAT was much more sensitive. The analysis of risk factors, which may influence B. canis seroprevalence, has shown the influence of age, tick presence, and season. Finally, of the 242 ticks collected from a total of 59 dogs, only one tick species was identified, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Conclusion: This study indicates a frequent circulation of species of Babesia in the dog in the Algiers region and R. sanguineus was the only tick identified.

Peripheral Blood Smear (PBS) analysis is a vital routine test carried out by hematologists to assess some aspects of humans' health status. PBS analysis is prone to human errors and utilizing computer-based analysis can greatly enhance this process in terms of accuracy and cost. Recent approaches in learning algorithms, such as deep learning, are data hungry, but due to the scarcity of labeled medical images, researchers had to find viable alternative solutions to increase the size of available datasets. Synthetic datasets provide a promising solution to data scarcity, however, the complexity of blood smears' natural structure adds an extra layer of challenge to its synthesizing process. In this work, we propose a methodology that utilizes Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) to create a novel balanced dataset of 2500 synthetic blood smears. This dataset, which was automatically annotated during the generation phase, will be made public for research purposes and covers 17 essential categories of blood cells. We proved the effectiveness of the proposed dataset by utilizing it for training a deep neural network, this model got a very high accuracy score of 98.72% when tested with the well known ALL-IDB dataset. The dataset also got the approval of 5 experienced hematologists to meet the general standards of making thin blood smears.

We report the first detection of Trypanosoma vivax in Bahia state based on blood smear and PCR analyses. A total of 623 bovine blood samples were collected over two years. Parasitological analysis by smear technique detected the presence of T. vivax in 0.3%, while molecular analysis by PCR showed a prevalence in 18.9% of the samples. This study demonstrated the higher sensitivity of molecular analysis in the diagnosis of hemoparasitosis caused by T. vivax in dairy cattle herds.

We prospectively examined the effectiveness of diagnostic tests for anaplasmosis using patients with suspected diagnoses in France. PCR (sensitivity 0.74, specificity 1) was the best-suited test. Serology had a lower specificity but higher sensitivity when testing acute and convalescent samples. PCR and serology should be used in combination for anaplasmosis diagnosis.

Background and Aim: Canine babesiosis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by ticks of the Ixodidae family. The effects of infection in dogs can range from the subclinical to the severe lethal form. This study aimed to make an original contribution to the knowledge of circulating species of Babesia spp. in dogs in the region of Algiers as well as mechanisms and risk factors for their transmission. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological study was carried out on 189 blood samples taken from dogs from April 2015 to January 2016. The samples taken underwent parasitological by Giemsa-stained blood smear and serological analyzes by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The ticks were looked on all the dogs taken. Results: Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed the presence of two groups of parasites of the genus Babesia: Large Babesia (3/25, 12%) and small Babesia (22/25, 88%). The IFAT at a dilution of 1/32 showed an overall seroprevalence with Babesia canis of 17.98% (95% confidence interval 11.53-22.46). The distribution of the antibody titers for the positive samples showed that of the 34 positive sera with a titer =1/32, 28 sera remained positive at a dilution of 1/64 (14.81%), 22 at a dilution of 1/128 (11.64%) and 15 sera remained positive at a dilution of 1/256 (7.93%). Although seroprevalence varied according to canine population (20% and 19.49% in pet dogs and canine pound dogs, respectively, and 6.66-0% in farm dogs and hunting dogs, respectively), statistical analysis showed no significant differences between populations. The antibody titers obtained after several dilutions showed that 22 canine pound dog sera remained positive at a dilution of 1/128 compared to pet dogs and farm dogs which ceased to be positive at the dilution of 1/64. The comparison between the two diagnostic methods showed a strong agreement between the parasitological examination by blood smear and the serological method by IFAT. However, IFAT was much more sensitive. The analysis of risk factors, which may influence B. canis seroprevalence, has shown the influence of age, tick presence, and season. Finally, of the 242 ticks collected from a total of 59 dogs, only one tick species was identified, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Conclusion: This study indicates a frequent circulation of species of Babesia in the dog in the Algiers region and R. sanguineus was the only tick identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral blood smear examination is one of the basic steps in the evaluation of different blood cells. It is a confirmatory step after an automated complete blood count analysis. Manual microscopy is time-consuming and requires professional laboratory expertise. Therefore, the turn-around time for peripheral smear in a health care center is approximately 3–4 hours. To avoid the traditional method of manual counting under the microscope a computerized automation of peripheral blood smear examination has been adopted, which is a challenging task in medical diagnostics. In recent times, deep learning techniques have overcome the challenges associated with human microscopic evaluation of peripheral smears and this has led to reduced cost and precise diagnosis. However, their application can be significantly improved by the availability of annotated datasets. This study presents a large customized annotated blood cell dataset (named the Bio-Net dataset from healthy individuals) and blood cell detection and counting in the peripheral blood smear images. A mini-version of the dataset for specialized WBC-based image processing tasks is also equipped to classify the healthy and mature WBCs in their respective classes. An object detection algorithm called You Only Look Once (YOLO) with a refashion disposition has been trained on the novel dataset to automatically detect and classify blood cells into RBCs, WBCs, and platelets and compare the results with other publicly available datasets to highlight the versatility. In short the introduction of the Bio-Net dataset and AI-powered detection and counting offers a significant potential for advancement in biomedical research for analyzing and understanding biological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The pattern of serotonin transporter clustering on the plasma membrane of lymphocytes extracted from human whole blood samples has been identified as a putative biomarker of therapeutic efficacy in major depression. Here we evaluated the possibility of performing a similar analysis using blood smears obtained from rats, and from control human subjects and depression patients. We hypothesized that we could optimize a protocol to make the analysis of serotonin protein clustering in blood smears comparable to the analysis of serotonin protein clustering using isolated lymphocytes. Results Our data indicate that blood smears require a longer fixation time and longer times of incubation with primary and secondary antibodies. In addition, one needs to optimize the image analysis settings for the analysis of smears. When these steps are followed, the quantitative analysis of both the number and size of serotonin transporter clusters on the plasma membrane of lymphocytes is similar using both blood smears and isolated lymphocytes. Conclusions The development of this novel protocol will greatly facilitate the collection of appropriate samples by eliminating the necessity and cost of specialized personnel for drawing blood samples, and by being a less invasive procedure. Therefore, this protocol will help us advance the validation of membrane protein clustering in lymphocytes as a biomarker of therapeutic efficacy in major depression, and bring it closer to its clinical application.

ABSTRACT The morphometric parameters of erythrocytes in Mandarin ducks- Aix galericulata have never been subjected to study even though this species is common in aviculture. The aim of this study is to investigate the morphometric parameters of erythrocytes in juvenile Mandarin ducks. A total of 1500 erythrocytes obtained from thirty Mandarin ducks were analysed. The smears of the peripheral blood were stained using Diff-Quik® stain method, and the length and width of erythrocytes were measured using ImageJ program. The average length of the measured erythrocytes was 11.879 µm. The maximal measured length of the erythrocytes was 16.049 µm, and the minimal measured length was 5.668 µm. The average width of the measured erythrocytes was 6.160 µm. The maximal measured width of the erythrocytes was 10.115 µm and the minimal measured width was 3.750 µm. In conclusion, knowing morphometric parameters of Mandarin duck erythrocytes is the first step in evaluation process of erythrocytes’ functional state and health condition of an individual.

Acute leukaemia represents uncontrolled malign, immature cell proliferations (called blasts) of the hematopoietic system. As opposed to chronic leukaemia, acute leukaemia occurs in a few weeks and determines the precocious occurrence of symptoms, severe in some situations, which renders its diagnosis and treatment extremely important. The diagnosis of acute leukaemia is established based on a blood exam: the complete blood count (CBC), the peripheral blood smear and the red marrow biopsy, highlighting leucocytes, leukemic blasts and thrombocytopenia; usually, anaemia and a haematocrit decrease are registered. It is worrying that the number of leukaemia cases has grown widely during the last years and it is increasingly harder to detect the causes of these genetic changes at cellular level. The purpose of the present study was to capture and highlight the importance of the changes that occurred in the examination of peripheral blood smears and of the automatic complete blood counts, before and after the intervention of the chemotherapy treatment, respectively in the high precision diagnosis of acute leukemias. Patients were monitored during the chemotherapy treatment, with 23 complete blood counts and peripheral blood smears being performed. The analysis and processing of complete blood counts was done following the changes that intensive chemotherapy induces at the level of haematological parameters and on the morphology of blood cells. It has been observed that depending on the individual and the time of diagnosis of acute leukemia, there are wide variations in blood parameters. The response to chemotherapy treatment is also variable over time. Chemotherapy caused the sudden decrease in the number of leukocytes and the complete destruction of leukemic blasts. The investigation of peripheral blood smears supported the results recorded in the processing of automatic complete blood counts for all patients. If the presence of leukemic blasts associated with leukocytosis or leukopenia was detected before chemotherapy, the chemotherapy treatment initially destroyed the leukemic blasts, and then they reappeared on the blood smears. The result indicates the need to consolidate the remission obtained following the first chemotherapy treatment by continuing the treatment until the complete release of the haematogenous bone marrow from the cancer cells, and by resuming the normal haematopoiesis of blood cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trypanosomiasis or surra is a disease caused by blood parasite of Trypanosoma evansi. Trypanosomiasis disease in Indonesia includes Strategic Diseases of Infectious Diseases (SDID). The purpose of this study is to detect Trypanosomiasis in horses in Bima, Indonesia. A total of 90 horse blood samples were used for the study. Sample examination using blood smears technique with Giemsa staining and Card Agglutination Test of Trypanosoma evansi (CATT). The result of examination of blood samples by microscope obtained 3 positive samples infected T. evansi and by CATT obtained 1 positive samples containing antibodies against T. evansi. It was concluded that trypanosomiasis in horses in Bima was 3.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are known for their antibacterial properties and are used in a growing number of nano-enabled products, with inevitable concerns for releases to the environment. Nanoparticles may also be antigenic and toxic to the haematopoietic system, but the immunotoxic effect of Ag NPs on non-target species such as fishes is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the effect of Ag NP exposure via the water on the haematopoietic system of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss , and to determine whether or not the hazard from Ag NPs was different from that of AgNO 3 . Fish were exposed for 7 days to a control (dechlorinated Plymouth freshwater), dispersant control, 1 µg l −1 Ag as AgNO 3 or 100 µg l −1 Ag NPs. Animals were sampled on days 0, 4 and 7 for haematology, tissue trace metal concentration, biochemistry for evidence of oxidative stress/inflammation in the spleen and histopathology of the blood cells and spleen. The Ag NP treatment significantly increased the haematocrit, but the haematological changes were within the normal physiological range of the animal. Thrombocytes in spleen prints at day 4, and melanomacrophage deposits at day 7 in the spleen, of Ag NP exposed-fish displayed significant increases compared to all the other treatments within the time point. A dialysis experiment confirmed that dissolution rates were very low and any pathology observed is likely from the NP form rather than dissolved metal released from it. Overall, the data showed subtle differences in the effects of Ag NPs compared to AgNO 3 on the haematopoietic system. The lack of pathology in the circulating blood cells and melanomacrophage deposits in the spleen suggests a compensatory physiological effort by the spleen to maintain normal circulating haematology during Ag NP exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytological examination of peripheral white blood cells inhomogeneously distributed on a blood smear is currently limited by the low abundance and random sampling of the target cells. To address the challenges, we present a new approach to prepare and analyze concentrated blood smears by rapidly enriching white blood cells up to 32-fold with 92% recovery on average at a high throughput (1 mL/min) using a deterministic migration-based separator and by systematically analyzing a large number of the cells distributed over a blood slide using a microfabricated grid film. We anticipate that our approach will improve the clinical utility of blood smear tests, while offering the capability to detect rare cell populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small ruminants (sheep and goats) in Asian agriculture system maintain a valuable biological and economical role. Theileriosis, a tick borne disease considered major deterrents in health and productive performance of small ruminants. Both domestic and wild small ruminants of tropical world are infected with Theileria species infection. Ticks and Tick-borne diseases caused annual loß of USS 7000million throughout the world.Two Theileria species Theileria ovis and Theileria lestoquardi are responsible for ovine theileriosis in Pakistan. Information about ovine theileriosis is limited and further research is needed to understand its epidemiology.In present study PCR aßay was used to diagnose the prevalence of theileriosis and potential risk factors involvedin the spread of theileriosis in small ruminants from district Multan, Pakistan. Out of 300 collected blood samples of sheep and goats from different herds,PCR amplification revealed 17.0% samples positive or Theileria species infection while microscopy revealed only 3.7 % samples positive. Out of 51 positive samples,T. ovisandT. lestoquardi wasdiagnosed 60.8% and 35.2 % respectively while two animals (4.0%) had mixed infection of both Theilria species based on PCR. Theileriaspecies infection observed significantly (p ?0.05)higherin sheep (24.66%) than in goats (9.33%).The prevalence of T. ovisand T. lestoquardiwas higher in sheep (14% and 9.4%) compared to goats (5.3% and 4.0%) while mixed infection of both species was found (1.33%) only in blood samples collected from sheep. The herds consisting sheep only and age of the studied animalswas found statistical significant (p < 0.05) for the spread of ovine theileriosis.The results revealed that PCR is sensitive and specific molecular tool for the investigation of ovine theileriosis and can be used for screening of piroplasms in small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphocytosis and smudge cells are commonly observed on the blood smears of patients with an established or suspected diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma. Excluding smudge cells from the manual differential count (MDIFF), a common laboratory practice, yields unreliable results and consequently necessitates performing the MDIFF testing on an albuminized blood smear. Objective: To assess the reliability of counting smudge cells as lymphocytes in the MDIFFs on nonalbuminized smears and automated differentials (ADIFFs) as a substitute for MDIFFs. Methods: We compared corresponding results of MDIFFs on nonalbuminized smears vs MDIFFs on albuminized smears (group A, n = 82), ADIFFs vs MDIFFs on nonalbuminized smears (group B, n = 68), and ADIFF vs MDIFFs on albuminized smears (group C, n = 50). Smudge cells on the nonalbuminized smears were counted as lymphocytes. We focused on 2 white blood cell types: neutrophils and lymphocytes. Results: Respective means for % lymphocytes and % neutrophils were 83.2 vs 83.2 and 14.0 vs 13.6 for Group A, 75.0 vs 77.0 and 20.2 vs 19.8 for Group B, and 76.1 vs 79.3 and 18.7 vs 17.4 for Group C. Respective correlation coefficients for % lymphocytes and % neutrophils were 0.92 and 0.94 for group A, 0.94 and 0.97 for group B, and 0.88 and 0.92 for group C. Conclusion: Counting smudge cells as lymphocytes on nonalbuminized blood smears yielded reliable MDIFF results. Reportable ADIFF results were generated by the analyzer on 73% of the specimens, of which 93% were reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automated identification of markers in medical imaging is one of the issues proposed in recent years for many tasks with wide application in digital image analysis, but there is no universal algorithm for this. We introduce here a low computational cost system based on the Radon transform (RT) to determine markers for watershed segmentation purposes in nearly circular structures of grey‐scale images such as the red blood cells in images obtained by optical light microscopy of blood smears. The search for markers is performed based on the ability of the RT to detect shape parameters and characterise their behaviour in circular structures. The circular structure edge was determined previously in order to apply the direct RT and after that the sinogram projections were filtered utilising a matched filter. Then, an image with peaks close to the circular structures' centres is obtained by means of the reverse RT. After this, a threshold is calculated and applied in order to identify the markers. The reached precision was 97.4%, which is comparable with results within the state of the art, and the F‐measure was 0.925. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prospectively examined the effectiveness of diagnostic tests for anaplasmosis using patients with suspected diagnoses in France. PCR (sensitivity 0.74, specificity 1) was the best-suited test. Serology had a lower specificity but higher sensitivity when testing acute and convalescent samples. PCR and serology should be used in combination for anaplasmosis diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camel trypanosomosis is a life-threatening disease in the camel species and responsible for severe economic losses either in milk or meat productions. This study was carried out on the south-east area of Algeria on 100 camels of various ages and either sex from two herds. Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed higher levels of trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma evansi, an elongated parasite with a kinetoplast and a single nucleus located in its half-length and one flagellum with great heterogeneity. This first investigation reveals higher infection rate than those observed in other countries using blood smears, the trypanosomosis attack has reached an alarming level and the occurrence of trypanosomosis at this high level on blood smears is like "the tree that hides the forest" and make up a serious and potential danger both on animal and public health. Therefore, radical preventive and offensive drastic measures must be taken against this menacing disease at the critical points to prevent the economic losses and to avoid possible human transmission.

The status of Babesia spp. infection in dogs from rural areas of São Paulo State, Brazil was studied. For this, 150 animals were examined by blood smears and by PCR; the presence of tick infestation was also investigated. By the blood smear examination, 3 animals (2%) were detected positive and by PCR for Babesia spp. 12 (8%) were positive, with bands visualized in 450 bp. Rhipicephalus sanguineus or Amblyomma spp. were found on 36 (24%) of the 150 dogs. Amblyomma species found were A. cajennense (9/36-25%) and A. ovale (9/36-25%). It was not possible to correlate the presence of R. sanguineus and the infection with Babesia spp. The sequencing of four positive samples demonstrated close identity with B. canis vogeli already characterized in Brazil.A presença de infecção por Babesia spp. em cães de áreas rurais do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil foi investigada. Para tanto, 150 cães foram examinados por técnicas parasitológicas de esfregaços sanguíneos e moleculares (PCR), e também, foi verificada a presença de carrapatos nestes animais. Pela análise de esfregaços sanguíneos, 3 (2%) dos cães estavam infectados, enquanto pela PCR, 12 (8%) dos animais foram positivos com bandas aproximadas de 450 pares de base (pb). Foram observados 36 (24%) cães infestados com Rhipicephalus sanguineus ou com Amblyomma spp. As espécies de Amblyomma observadas foram A. cajennense (25%) e A. ovale (25%). Não foi possível correlacionar a presença de R. sanguineus com a infecção por Babesia spp. O seqüenciamento de quatro amostras positivas demonstrou alta identidade com B. canis vogeli, já caracterizada no Brasil.

Seasonal incidence of haemoprotozoal diseases in crossbred cattle and buffalo was studied by examining 3152 and 1129 blood smears respectively, received from various veterinary sub centres located in Anand and Kaira districts of Gujarat during period from April 2009 to March 2010. The present study has recorded higher incidence of haemoprotozoal diseases in crossbred cattle and buffalo from June to September and June to August, respectively. In crossbred cattle, 1172 (37%) out of 3152 blood smears were positive for haemoprotozoal infection while in buffalo, 191 (17%) out of 1129 blood smears were positive for haemoprotozoal infection. In both the species, higher incidence of Theileriosis was recorded during monsoon season as compared to other protozoan diseases. [Vet. World 2012; 5(4.000): 223-225]

In the present study, the peripheral blood cells (erythrocytes, leucocytes and thrombocytes) morphology of Emys orbicularis and Mauremys rivulata were examined in the blood smears prepared using Wright's stain and the erythrocyte number was conducted as well. In E. orbicularis, the average of erythrocyte length was measured as 20.1µm, width 12.7µm and size 200.8µm²; while in M. rivulata these were measured as 19.3µm, 12.3µm, and 186.7µm ² respectively. The fact that agranulocytes (lymphocytes and monocytes) were dominant cells; nucleus cannot be distinguished in eosinophiles and basophiles due to intensive granulation in cytoplasm; thrombocytes are flat, ellipsoid cells were observed in the blood smears. In 1mm³ blood, the average erythrocyte count in E. orbicularis was 430,666 and 467,500 in M. rivulata, and the erythrocyte count was established to be higher in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research was carried out during 3 months from early June through late August, in northern zones of Iran. In addition, the present study was performed on 300 sheep and goats, in which 50 specimens were isolated based on clinical signs, blood smears and lymph node puncture. The results indicated clinical signs of theileriosis in sheep (with more prominent signs) and goats were diagnosable. The reliable clinical signs in sheep and goats included fever, tachycardia, cough, increased respiratory rate, mucosal pallor, anorexia, ruminal hypomotility and lymph node enlargement. Furthermore, the frequency of cough, abnormal pulmonary sounds, anorexia and ruminal hypomotility were significantly more in sheep than goats ( P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 50 adult cows each of Friesian and Jersey breed maintained at the Livestock Experiment Station Bhunikey (Pattoki) District Kasur were selected randomly for this study. Blood smears of all animals were prepared aseptically through standard procedure. The cows found positive for theileriasis were treated with Buparvaquone (Butalex) injection @ 5 ml/100 Kg b. wt. intramuscularly, while for the treatment of babesiasis, positive animals were treated with Imidocarb dipropionate 12% w/v (Imizol) @ 2 ml/100 Kg b. wt. I/M injection. Three days after medication, animals were re-tested for the presence of haemoparasites. The overall incidence of theileriasis in Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cows was 24 and 15 per cent, respectively, while the incidence of babesiasis was 2.5 per cent in both the breeds. The highest incidence of Theilaria, i.e., 38 and 30 per cent was observed in Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cows during 3rd and 4th quarter of the year, respectively. The lowest incidence of Theileria was observed during 1st quarter in both Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cows (16 and 8 percent, respectively). The incidence of Babesia was observed only during 3rd quarter of the study, which was 10 per cent in both the breeds. Butalex and Imizol injection showed 100 per cent effectiveness in both the breeds.

Assessing numbers of leukocytes in salamanders and other amphibians can be useful metrics for understanding health or stress levels of individuals in a population. In this chapter we describe the procedures for obtaining blood samples from amphibians, preparing blood films for microscopy, counting, and identifying cells. We also provide reference values for amphibian leukocytes for use in interpreting leukocyte data. From our assessment of the published and unpublished literature, "non-stressed" salamanders would have a leukocyte profile where 60-70% of cells are lymphocytes, 17-30% are neutrophils, 1-4% are eosinophils, 4-12% are basophils, and 2-6% are monocytes. In Ambystoma spp., the eosinophil abundance can be notably higher (30% of all white blood cells), for reasons unknown. Finally, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio of most non-stressed salamanders tends to be between 0.3 and 0.4 (sometimes less), while the ratios of stressed salamanders tend to be over 1.0., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To determine and optimize the sensitivity of the CellaVision DM96 automated image-analysis system in detecting platelet (PLT) clumps on blood smears and to assess the reliability of the traditional laboratory practice of examining only the feather edge of the smear for PLT clumps. Methods: We processed 102 blood smears that revealed PLT clumps on microscopic review, using the CellaVision DM96, and reviewed the results for the ability of the analyzer to detect these clumps. We obtained the data regarding relative distribution of PLT clumps on different parts of the blood smear (feather edge, lateral edges, and readable area) from our microscopic-review observations. Results: The sensitivity of the Cellavision DM96 in detecting PLT clumps was between 40.4% and 82.8%, depending on the number of screens reviewed for this variable. Via microscopic review of the smears, the PLT-clump detection rate increased from 85.3%, obtained by examining only the feather edge, to 99.0%, obtained by examining the feather edge plus the readable area. Conclusion: The sensitivity of the DM96 for detecting PLT clumps can be maximized to 82.8% by reviewing the entire white blood cell screen and the entire PLT screen. Microscopic review of the blood smears yielded a PLT-clump detection rate of 99.0% when we examined the feather edge and the readable area of the smear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Due to students' initial inexperience, slides are frequently broken and blood smears are damaged in microscopy training, leading to the need for their constant replacement. To minimize this problem a method of preparing blood smears on transparent acetate sheets was developed with the goal of implementing appropriate and more readily available teaching resources for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria. Methods Acetate sheets derived from polyester were used to standardize the preparation and staining of thin and thick blood smears on transparent acetate sheets. Thick and thin blood smears were also prepared using the conventional method on glass slides. The staining was conducted using Giemsa staining for the thick and thin smears. Results Microscopic examination (1,000×) of the thin and thick blood smears prepared on transparent acetate produced high-quality images for both the parasites and the blood cells. The smears showed up on a clear background and with minimal dye precipitation. It was possible to clearly identify the main morphological characteristics of Plasmodium, neutrophils and platelets. After 12 months of storage, there was no change in image quality or evidence of fungal colonization. Conclusion Preparation of thin and thick blood smears in transparent acetate for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria does not compromise the morphological and staining characteristics of the parasites or blood cells. It is reasonable to predict the applicability of transparent acetate in relevant situations such as the training of qualified professionals for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria and the preparation of positive specimens for competency assessment (quality control) of professionals and services involved in the diagnosis of malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]