Evalution of haematological parameters in the childhood brucellosis

Objective: Brucellosis is a zoonosis that appears common all over the world and may cause multisystem disease irrespective of age and gender differences. In our study, we aimed to investigate demographic characteristics such as age and gender, some biochemical, serological and hematological laboratory parameters were between patients who diagnosed brucellosis with control subjects. Material and Methods: This study included 60 patients who had been diagnosed brucellosis aged between 0-16 years with inpatient or outpatient follow-up and 60 control subjects who had not detected any disease aged between 0-16 years, irrespective of age and gender differences at the Department of Child Health and Diseases, Dicle University School of Medicine between September 2011 and September 2013. Patient demographics such as age and gender, and laboratory parameters were obtained retrospectively from patient files and records of our hospital. Brucellacapt test was used for the diagnosis of brucellosis and ≥1/160 titers were considered significant. Whole blood analysis for hematological parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as an acute-phase reactant and biochemical analysis of patients were studied in our hospital laboratory. Results: Of the 60 patients with brucellosis, 31 (% 51.67) were males and 29 (% 48.3) were females, and of the 60 control subjects 28 (% 46.7) were males and 32 (% 53.3) were females. There was no significant difference according to gender (p>0.05). Mean leukocyte, neutrophil and platelet counts, hemoglobin levels, platelet / lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio were found significantly lower, while ALT and AST levels were found significantly higher in patients with brucellosis compared to control subjects (p <0.05). Statistically significant positive correlation were found between CRP levels with Brucella capture agglutination titer, ALT and AST levels and a negative correlation with hemoglobin levels in patients with brucellosis (p <0.05). Conclusion: We suggest that hematopoietic system involvement appears to be common in childhood brucellosis and hematologic complications show a wide distribution according to the intensity of the disease, moreover, platelet / lymphocyte and neutrophil / lymphocyte ratios might be used as an inflammatory marker for diagnosis and follow-up in patients with brucellosis. Key Words: Brucellosis, C-reactive protein, platelet / lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio, child.