Diagnostic value of MCHC in hemolytic anemia

Objective　The study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value of the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC) in hemolytic anemia(HA). Methods　The mean corpuscular volume(MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH) and MCHC were compared between four experimental groups of patients and a control group of healthy people, with 30 subjects in each. Patients with iron deficiency anemia(IDA), megaloblastic anemia(MA), HA, and small cell HA (congenital small RBCs or concomitant IDA) were divided into the four experimental groups. Results　HA patients had conspicuously higher MCHC than MA, IDA patients and people in the control group(IP/I0.01). IDA patients had obviously lower MCHC than people in the control group (IP/I0.01). There was no difference in MCHC between the MA group and the control group(IP/I0.05), whereas MA patients had higher MCV than people in the control group(IP/I0.01). There was no difference in MCHC between the small cell HA group and the control group(IP/I0.05), though people in the control group had higher MCV(IP/I0.01). Conclusion　MCHC could be used as a diagnostic indicator of hemolytic anemia.