Incidence of poikilocytes following peripheral red blood cell exposure to a contact temperature of 50°C: Classification based on cell morphology and size

Abstract

Digital image analysis was conducted to examine in detail the morphological changes in red blood cells during the initial stage of heating, following brief exposure to a contact temperature of 50°C. The shape, size, and frequency of the occurrence of the cells was calculated, and they were classified by shape and size. Human heparinized peripheral blood from six subjects was used. Two volumes of whole blood, (250 μL and 500 μL) were heated in a constant temperature bath, followed by smear preparation and May-Giemsa staining to assess the morphology of emerging poikilocytes. A significant increase in poikilocytes was observed following heating in both the 250 μL and 500 μL samples. Following heating times of 60, 90, and 120 seconds, category 4 poikilocytes appeared most frequently in both volumes. Our findings suggest that by categorizing cells based on morphology and size, we can determine the occurrence rate and overall distribution of poikilocytes in peripheral blood.