Hematocrit and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in normal student Filipino students

Title

Creator

Macapinlac, Manuel P.

Albino, Amelia M.

Camara-Besa, Solita F.

Language

English

Source

Volume XV (1) July-September 1958

Year

1958

Subject

Blood -- Analysis

Hematocrit

Hemoglobin

Medicine -- Periodicals

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

HEMATOCRIT AND MEAN CORPUSCULAR HEMOGWBIN CONCENTRATION IN NORMAL ADULT FILIPINO STUDENTS" l\IANUEL P. i\IACAPl~LAC, 1\1.D., AllEl.IA ;u. ALBINO, ;u,n. and SOLITA F. CAMARA-BESA. 1\1.D., :U.S. (Biochem.) Department of Biochemistry, College of Mnlicine Unirersity of the Philivpine8 In a previous paper, Camara-Besa and Macapinlac ( 1) prl'· sented hematocrit values of normal Filipino stuclents obtained by the copper sulfate specific gravity method. Macapinlac, 1·r al. (2) showed that the hematocrit values of normal subjects obtained by this method were comparable with those obtainerl by the method of Wintrobe (3), but emphasized that the fom1e!' method was found by Van Slyke, et al. (4) to give accurak values for pathologic samples. For clinical purposes, therefore, the utility of the copper sulfate specific gravity metho<l of hematocrit determination becomes limited. The method of Wintrobe has not only been accepted as a reference method but i" probably still the one most commonly used in many clinical laboratories. To provide better values that can be considered normal for Filipinos, determination of hematocrit was e:,tended in the present study to include a larger number of subjects usin~ the standard method of Wintl'obe. It was deemed wortlmhilt' also to determine the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration since this value as stressed by Wintrobe (:j), is important in the study of anemias. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The subjects were 155 medicine, nursing, dentistry, and B.S. Hygiene students, considered normal following till' eritcria previously used; to wit, 1. Absence of signs and symptoms of disease. •This study was supported in part hy a grant-in-aid fnm1 tlw l·.1·. J; Natu1·al Science Research Center. 66 ACTA MEDICA PHlLIPPINA 2. Normal blood pressure, not over 135/85 mm. Hg. 3. Normal urine findings by routine examination. 4. In the presence of gingivitis, subjects with vitamin C blood levels below 0.4 mg. per 100 ml. were excluded. The subjects consisted of 74 males, aged 18 to 30 years with a mean of 20.1 years, and 81 females, aged 18 to 26 years with a mean of 19.7 years. The blood samples were obtained by venipuncture and prevented from coagulating by delivery into test tubes previously lined with dried heparin (0.2 mg. heparin per ml. of blood). Hematocrit values were determined shortly after blood withdrawal. Standard Wintrobe tubes were filled to the mark, and the volume of packed RBC per 100 ml. of blood was determined after centrifuging the tubes for one hour in a No. 2 International Centrifuge at 3,000 rpm, following the procedure recommended by Wintrobe (3). An aliquot of the heparinized blood samples, in 35 males and 31 females, was analyzed for hemoglobin conw centration, following the iron method of Wong as modified by Ponder (7). The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (M.C.H.C.) was calculated from the obtained hemoglobin and hematocrit values, using the following equation: Hemoglobin, grams per 100 ml. M.C.H.C. = ---- --~ - -- ---- x 100 Vol. packed RBC per 100 ml. RESULTS The mean hematocrit values obtained were 46.97 ± 2.79 (S.D.) volume per cent (cells) for males, and 41.59 :!: 2.82 (8.D.) volume per cent (cells) for females. Figures 1 and 2 show the frequency distribution of the values obtained. ·" .. , ... ~ 10 u 0 z 6 HE~IATOCRIT A:'IJD COHPL'~(TLAH HE:'!IOGLOBI~ 67 so §2 >S'l Hematocrit (vol. pel' cent of cells) Mean = 46.97 S.D. = 2.97 Actual Range = 35.0 - il 1.0 FiJ!:Ul"l' 1. Hl'matu('t it n1lurs in normal adult mall' Filipino !<tudC'nt~. 68 "' .. .. .. v "O 0 :2. 18 14IO ' 2. ACTA :mmICA PHILIPPl:.IA Hematocrit (vol. per cent of cells) Mean = 41.59 S.D. = 2.82 Actual Range = 34.0 - 52.0 Figure 2. Hematocrit values in normal adult female Filipino Students. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration obtained for males was 33.57 + 1.81 per cent (S.D.), and those for females was 32.68 + 2~24 per cent (8.D.). The difference in the mean corpuscultll- hemoglobin concentrations obtained ( 0.89 per cent) in the two groups is not statistically significant (t = 1.7). HEMATOCRIT AND CORPUSCULAR HEMOGLOBI~ 69 Table 1 presents the hematocrit and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration obtained in our subjects anrl those obtained by Wintrobe (7) from a compilation of previously reporterl values for adult subjects. COMPARISON OF HEMATOCRIT AND MEAN CORPUSCULAR CONCENTRATION IN THIS STUDY WITH VALUES REPORTED IN THE LITERATURE Vol. Packed RBC i Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (ml. per 100 ml. Blood) Concentration ( % ) SEX - I -- ----- - - - - - - Filipinos Wintrobe's Filipinos Wintrobe's This Series I Series• This Series Seriesl Males 46.97 + 2.79 I 47.0 + 7.0 33.57 + 1.81 34 :': 2.0 I Feinales 41.59 + 2.82 42.0 + 5.0 I 32.68 + 2.24 I 34 :': 2.0 I Wintrobe, M. M. (6) Note: All figures given are means ~ standard deviation. In both male and female subjects in the present study, the hematocrit values agree very well with those given by Wintrobe. Stransky and Aragon (8) obtained a lower mean hematocrit value (37.2 vol. per cent cells), in a study of 130 non-pregnant Filipino women. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration of our subjects are only silghtly lower than those given by Wintrobe. SUMMARY In 74 male Filipino students from 18 to 30, averaging 20.l years old, judged clinically healthy by criteria set forth in the text, the mean hematocrit value was 46.97 + 2.79 (S.D.) volume per cent cells and the mean hemoglobin c~ncentration in 35 of the subjects was 33.57 ± 1.81 (S.D.) per cent. Selected under the same set of criteria as normals, 81 female Filipino students from 18 to 26, averaging 19.7 years old gave a mean hematocrit value of 41.59 ± 2.82 (S.D.) volume per bent cells, and 31 of them had a mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration of 32.68 + 2.24 (S.D.) per cent. 70 ACTA llEDICA PHILIPPINA As expected, the male subjects had higher hematocrit values than the females. On the other hand, the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration did not show any significant sex difference. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are grateful to the members of Class 1962 of the College of Medicine, Class 1962 of the College of Dentistry and B.S. Hygiene and to Class 1968 of the School of Nursing for their cooperation as subjects in this study. REFERENCES 1. CAMARA-BESA, S. F. ond MACAPINLAC, M. P.: Studies with the Copper Sulfate Speeifie Gravity Method of Blood Analysis. I. Hemogglohin, HematoC'rit and Plasma Prott'in Va\UC'S of Normal Filipino Students. Acta :\led. Philippines, 13:71 (1956-1957). 2. :\IACAPINLAC, M. P., CAMARA-BESA, S. F. and ALBINO, A. i\I.: Studies with the Cl')pper Sulfate Specific Gravity Method of Blood Analy:;is. III. Compal'ison of Hematocrit Values with Wintrobe's llethod and a Micromcthod of Determination. Acta l\led. Philippina, JJ:9l ( 1956-1957). B. WJNTROBF., M. :!\.I.: A Simple and Accurate HematoC'rlt. ,J. Lab. ard Clin. J\lcd., J.'i::t.~i (Hl2U). ~. VAN SLYKE, D. D., PHILLIPS, R.A., DOLE, V.P., HAJ\IILTON, P.B. ARCHIBAID, R.M. and PLAZIN, J.: Calculation of Hemoglobin from Blood SpeC'ifk Gravities, J. Biol. Chem., JR:/:819 (1950). Wl~TROBE, M. ll.: Clinical Hematolo!l'Y· 31·d Ed. l!Vil, Lea and Febigcr, Pa., U.S.A. pp. 32!l-33l. G. Ibid. pp. 94-!l!i. i. PONDER, E.: The Relation netween Red Blood Cell Densit>· and Co!'pUsC'ular Hem.,::-lobin Concentration. J. Biol. Chem., JU:333 (HM2). 8. STRANSKY, E. and ARAGON, G. T.: Anemia in Pl'egnancy in the Philippines. Acta :\led. Philippina, .5:25 (1949).

pages

65-70

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