Reticulocyte Count

Overview:

Reticulocytes are red blood cells that have just left the bone marrow and still contain traces of the machinery used to make them. Counting them shows how actively new red cells are being produced. This is what makes the test useful in anemia: it separates anemia where the marrow is responding appropriately, as happens with bleeding or with red cells being destroyed, from anemia where production itself is the problem, as in iron, B12 or folate deficiency or marrow disease. It is also used to confirm that treatment is working, since a rising count is one of the first signs of response.

Categories:

Blood

Biomarkers:

2 biomarkers