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The Buffy Coat Profile
The buffy coat profile is produced through the unique staining
methods of the IDEXX VetAutoread Hematology Analyzer and provides a virtual "picture" of the
blood, much like a blood film. And like human fingerprints, these
pictures are unique to each animal. Examining the buffy coat profile is
particularly useful because it can help identify several conditions,
including platelet clumping, missing layers or blurred boundaries,
that can aid in assessing the overall analysis.
Three steps to review the buffy coat profile
Step 1. Verify the vertical
line placement.
Example A illustrates vertical line placement at
the change in the curve of the DNA line (indicating a fluorescence
color change, which is a cell population change), and numerical
results will appear without any flags.
A. Buffy coat profile without flags
Example B shows a regenerative anemia
distinguished by the presence of nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs)
and/or reticulocytes, which are indicated by the elevated DNA and RNA
lines between the grans and RBC layers. These immature RBCs mix in
density with the granulocytes, and the analyzer cannot clearly identify
where the granulocytes begin. The operator would also have
some difficulty. The analyzer properly flags the granulocyte and total
WBC numbers, and displays the "Granulocytes (1)" message. In fact,
the analyzer is uncertain of the granulocyte count. While you
gain immediate indication of regeneration, you will need to examine a
blood film to verify the granuolcyte count.
B. Uncertain vertical line placement due to nRBCs and
reticuolcytes
Example C demonstrates that the analyzer can
properly distinguish where the granulocytes begin, even though
reticulocytes are present in the RBC layer.
C. Proper vertical line placement with reticulocytes
Step 2. Review the buffy coat
profile for indication of clumped platelets.
In this example, there are spurious fluorescence peaks,
which are indicative of clumped platelets/cells. Clumping platelets
can gather other cells with them, including WBCs or RBCs. Severe
clumping can put all results into question. With severe clumps, the
analyzer will not print results. You should respin or redraw the sample
and retest.
Step 3. Review the buffy coat
profile for abnormal patterns.
One of the greatest benefits of the IDEXX VetAutoread analyzer's buffy coat profile and
flags is their ability to quickly show you abnormal patterns. Extra
"humps" (aside from platelet clumps), missing or excessively wide
layers, or unusual lines may point to pathological conditions that
warrant further investigation under a microscope.
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