A rare case of coinfection of Plasmodium falciparum and SARS-CoV-2 disease in Croatia is presented in this report.
We tracked epidemiological and laboratory findings in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection. A complete blood count was performed using the Sysmex XN-2000 analyser (Sysmex Corporation, Kobe, Japan), coagulation analyses were performed using the BCS XP coagulometer (Siemens Healthineers AG, Erlangen, Germany). Procalcitonin (PCT) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) using the Cobas e411 (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) analyser and high sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) was measured using the Dimension EXL with LM analyser (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Newark, USA). All other biochemistry analyses were performed using the Olympus AU680 (Beckman Coulter, Brea, California, USA) analyser. White blood cell differential analysis has been performed by examining the blood smear using the CellaVision DM1200 (CellaVision AB, Lund, Sweden) automatic analyser.
Even though the patient\'s initial health condition was disturbed, as a result of the physician\'s comprehensive anamnesis accompanied by laboratory findings, prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy were assured, and consequently, the patient recovered.
In a pandemic, testing each febrile patient for the SARS-CoV-2 virus is of essential importance. However, the possibility of coinfection with another infectious disease agent cannot be disregarded.

A 10-year-old female Golden Retriever was presented for a recheck after the complete removal of low-grade complex mammary carcinoma. The in-house ProCyte Dx automated counts revealed moderate regenerative anemia and moderate eosinophilia. The ProCyte Dx WBC scattergram showed a cloud in an unusual place parallel and to the right of the monocyte dot plot location. Cells were classified as either monocytes or neutrophils with no clear separation. Complete blood count analysis performed in the laboratory on a Sysmex XT-2000iV analyzer showed moderate regenerative anemia and WBC count within RI; a differential count was not provided by the instrument. On the Sysmex XT-2000iV DIFF scattergram, neutrophil and eosinophil dot plots were present at the respective locations and appeared separated, but the instrument did not provide numerical results. In addition to the normal lymphocyte dot plot location, the second cloud of cells classified as lymphocytes was displayed to the right of the monocyte dot plot area. On the WBC/BASO scattergram, the second population of cells was present above and to the right of the leukocyte cluster. Morphologic assessment of the blood smear detected mastocytemia with 16% poorly granulated and degranulated mast cells. FNAs from the liver and spleen contained large aggregates of poorly granulated mast cells. C-kit somatic mutation screening detected the presence of point mutation S479I in exon 9 of the canine c-KIT gene. This is the first description of abnormal scattergrams from ProCyte Dx and Sysmex XT-2000iV analyzers in a dog with concurrent mastocytemia and systemic mastocytosis, and where cytologic assessments of a blood smear, liver, and spleen, and c-kit somatic mutation analysis were performed.

BACKGROUND: Cesarean delivery (CD) is the most frequently performed surgery. Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication after CD.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of complete blood count parameters in predicting the development of SSI after CD.
METHODS: Patients who were hospitalized because of SSI after CD were included in the SSI group (n = 48). A control group (n = 45) was formed with healthy postpartum women who had also undergone CD. Preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count (PLT), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) were recorded.
RESULTS: WBC, neutrophil count, and NLR levels increased while Hb, PLT, and lymphocyte count levels decreased after CD in both the SSI and control groups. PLR increased after CD in the SSI group but remained stable in the control group. However, the difference in PLR could not predict SSI after CD.
CONCLUSIONS: Complete blood count parameters were not useful to predict SSI after CD. Larger prospective studies are needed.

BACKGROUND: Hematology analyzers provide quick and accurate results in most situations. However, spurious results related to the parameters from the complete blood count (CBC) may be observed in several instances. False increases in WBC count can occur for many reasons, including erythroblasts, insufficiently lysed red blood cells (RBC), platelet aggregates, lipids, and cryoglobulins. However, cases of pseudoleukocytopenia due to plasma related factors are rare.
RESULTS: Here, we report a case of pseudoleukocytopenia in CBC test. It was identified by the peripheral blood smears and different scatter plots of WNR and WDF channel. The interference from plasma was con-firmed by simulating the state of blood in the WBC channel and plasma exchange.
CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed that the interference of pseudoleukocytopenia was from the plasma. This may be due to the high amount of albumin and other therapeutic drug reactions. Observation of peripheral blood smears and scatter plots can identify this interference.

Improvement in technology and inclusion of new parameters in automated hematology analyzers allows for better and faster detection of anemias. These parameters along with histograms provide details and clues that help to diagnose the etiology of anemia and help bridge the time lag in detection and treatment. Timely and expert interpretation of complete blood counts should not be limited to the pathologist but should also interest the clinician to allow for efficient patient care.

Regular exposure to a cold factor-cold water swimming or ice swimming and cold air-results in an increased tolerance to cold due to numerous adaptive mechanisms in humans. Due to the lack of scientific reports on the effects of extremely low outdoor temperatures on the functioning of the human circulatory system, the aim of this study was to evaluate complete blood count and biochemical blood indices in multiple Guinness world record holder Valerjan Romanovski, who was exposed to extremely cold environment from -5 °C to -37 °C for 50 days in Rovaniemi (a city in northern Finland). Valerjan Romanovski proved that humans can function in extremely cold temperatures. Blood from the subject was collected before and after the expedition. The subject was found to have abnormalities for the following blood indices: testosterone increases by 60.14%, RBC decreases by 4.01%, HGB decreases by 3.47%, WBC decreases by 21.53%, neutrocytes decrease by 17.31%, PDW increases by 5.31%, AspAT increases by 52.81%, AlAT increase by 68.75%, CK increases by 8.61%, total cholesterol decreases by 5.88%, HDL increases by 28.18%. Percentage changes in other complete blood count and biochemical indices were within standard limits. Long-term exposure of the subject (50 days) to extreme cold stress had no noticeable negative effect on daily functioning.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate the hemogram index parameters and their clinical significance in the evaluation of the inflammatory response of patients with male breast cancer, who are rarely observed in the literature.
METHODS: In total, 22 (n=22) healthy male and 28 (n=28) male breast cancer patients without synchronous/metachronous tumors were included in this study. They were grouped as the healthy male control group (Group 1) and the male breast cancer patient group (Group 2). The male breast cancer was divided into two subgroups, namely, early stage [(stage: 0/I/II) (Group 2A)] and late stage [(stage: III/IV) (Group 2B)], and their hemogram index parameters were compared.
RESULTS: A significant (p>0.05) increase was observed in neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and·platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values in the late stage (Group 2B: stage III/IV) compared to the early stage (Group 2A: stage 0/I/II) and healthy control (Group 1) groups.
CONCLUSIONS: In male breast cancer patients, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio values were significantly higher as the stage of cancer increased. These readily available simple tests can be used to evaluate the host\'s inflammatory response in male breast cancer.

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the diagnostic ability of platelet-related parameters and white cell-based parameters in pregnant women with appendicitis. This is a retrospective case-controlled study. Women aged between 18 and 50-years-old who had undergone appendectomy between January 2010 and January 2021 were enrolled in the study. Age, pathological diagnosis and relevant laboratory parameters were recorded for each patient. Gestational characteristics were recorded for pregnant patients. There were 58 pregnant and 1171 non-pregnant women enrolled. Pregnant women with acute appendicitis were significantly younger (p < .0001, d= -0.532), had significantly lower PLT (p = .002, d= -0.428) and ALC (p = .033, d= -.304) levels but had significantly higher MPV (p = .004, d = .415) levels than non-pregnant counterparts. In pregnant women, only MPV was the independent predictor of acute appendicitis (OR: 1,952). MPV cut-off value of 9,6 fL provided 63,5% sensitivity, 67,7% specificity, 94,2% PPV and 17,3% NPV whereas 10 fL provided 55,8% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% PPV and 21,4% NPV for acute appendicitis in pregnant women. Therefore, MPV might be useful for diagnosing acute appendicitis in pregnant women.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? In pregnant women, counts and percentages of white blood cells and neutrophils are known to be independent predictors of acute appendicitis. Meanwhile, physiologic leukocytosis of gestation is a challenge for interpretation of these parameters. Platelets and related markers are, as well, predictive for inflammatory processes in the human body.What do the results of this study add? The role of platelet-related markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pregnant women has not been studied previously. The results of the present study indicate that in pregnant women, changes in mean platelet volume might be an independent predictor of acute appendicitis.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Further similar large-scale case-controlled or cohort studies are required to validate the present results. In pregnant women with abdominal pain, the use of mean platelet volume as a biomarker could reduce negative laparotomy rates. A mean platelet volume is a useful tool for diagnosing acute appendicitis in pregnant women and provides helpful guidance for clinicians dealing with these patients in the emergency room.

Cold agglutinin are erythrocyte antibodies which possess the property of agglutinating red blood cells at temperatures of below 37°C, this phenomenon is reversible after heating. This is usually immunoglobulin M (IgM) class. Their pathogenicity is much more related to their temperature range of activity than their title. As we report in this observation, cold hemagglutination makes it difficult to interpret certain immunological tests such as ABO Rh blood grouping or searching for irregular antibodies (SAI). The discovery of cold agglutinins can be fortuitous revealing itself by disturbances and aberrations in the results of blood count or as part of a suggestive clinical or laboratory table cold hemagglutinin disease. The search for a lymphoid hematological at their diagnosis should be systematic.

The Kaliningrad region is known for its specific climate, which can negatively affect the adaptive potential of the body. This manifests in an increased incidence of respiratory diseases and skin conditions. To prevent high morbidity, a plant protein product was included in the diet of first-year university students. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of this food intervention in preventing the most common diseases among Kaliningrad students. Two groups of university students took part in the food trial. In the control group, catabolic processes prevailed in nutrient metabolism. Disadaptation manifested itself in the metabolism of proteins, vitamins, minerals, hematopoiesis and humoral immunity. Inflammation was indicated by α1- and α2-globulins, a weak immune response, and IgM and IgG. High oxidative stress and low antioxidative ability of blood serum were observed. The plant-based protein product (FP) helped preserve testosterone level and prevent an increase in catabolic reactions. Moreover, it had a positive effect on both red blood cell hematopoiesis (a smaller increase in the average volume of erythrocytes, the same average concentration and content of hemoglobin, an increased relative red cell distribution width (RDW) and white blood cell hematopoiesis (a beneficial effect for the immune system: lymphocytes, the relative content of neutrophils, monocytes, basophils and eosinophils). The stimulation of humoral immunity was evidenced by beta- and gamma-globulins, an active immune response, the level of IgM and IgG, antioxidant protection, reduction of peroxides and an increase in antioxidant activity of blood serum. The 34-week observation showed a 1.7-fold decrease in the incidence of respiratory illnesses and a 5.7-fold decrease in skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases. Acute respiratory infections were reduced 1.8-fold. There were no cases of community-acquired pneumonia in the treatment group, compared with 55.1‰ in the control group. The incidence of respiratory diseases was 3.3-10.6 times lower in the treatment group than in the control group in weeks 6-19. The findings testify to the prophylactic effect of functional food during social adaptation and acclimatization of students.