Evaluation of the Novel Mindray BC-7800 and Sysmex XN-3000 Hematology Analyzers in Specimens With Platelet Interferences
Context.—
Before adopting a new hematology analyzer in clinical laboratories, evaluating its platelet counting performance is critical.
Objectives.—
To assess the analytical performance of impedance (PLT-I), hybrid (PLT-H), and optical (PLT-O) platelet counts on the novel Mindray BC-7800 (BC-7800) and to compare platelet parameters obtained from the BC-7800 and Sysmex XN-3000 (XN-3000), including PLT-I, PLT-O, and PLT-F (optical fluorescent platelet count using oxazine dye), against the international reference method (IRM) in specimens with platelet interferences.
Design.—
Analytical parameters of the BC-7800, including limit of blank, linearity, reproducibility, and carryover, were evaluated. Interference testing included 126 specimens with red blood cell (RBC) microcytosis and 21 specimens from patients with blasts. Diagnostic performance against the IRM was assessed at platelet transfusion thresholds of 10 × 103/µL and 20 × 103/µL.
Results.—
The BC-7800 met acceptable criteria for most basic parameters, except within-run precision for PLT-I and PLT-H in some thrombocytopenic specimens. In RBC microcytosis, all methods showed strong correlations with the IRM, though PLT-I exhibited proportional bias. In leukemia specimens, PLT-O from the BC-7800 and PLT-F from the XN-3000 showed the strongest agreement with the IRM, while PLT-H and PLT-O from the XN-3000 exhibited systematic bias. Specificity and positive predictive value were excellent across all methods. Sensitivity, negative predictive value, and accuracy were highest for PLT-O from the BC-7800 and PLT-F.
Conclusions.—
The BC-7800 demonstrated reliable platelet analysis, particularly with PLT-O in thrombocytopenic and interference-prone specimens. PLT-H and optical fluorescent platelet methods showed strong reliability in specimens with RBC microcytosis, while PLT-O from the BC-7800 and PLT-F offered the highest accuracy for guiding platelet transfusion decisions.
Contributor Notes
Tantanate and Khowawisetsut received support from a Chalermphrakiat Grant provided by the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.
The authors have no relevant financial interest in the products or companies described in this article.
Supplemental digital content is available for this article. See text for hyperlink.