This prospective study included canine blood samples, collected in 1 mL K3-EDTA tubes (APTACA Spa, Canelli, AT, Italy), the diameter and length were 12 mm and 56 mm, respectively, used primarily for blood counts, from patients that were selected randomly from the population referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital from February 2017 to March 2018. An informed consensus statement was signed from each dog owner to use the samples for this study. Each sample was assayed using MINIPET (ESR-MP) and the gold standard Westergren method (ESR-W) within four hours of blood collection. Any blood sample showing any apparent degree of lipemia or hemolysis was discarded and not used in the experiment.
To perform the ESR-MP, a MINIPET device (DIESSE, Diagnostica Senese S.p.A., Siena, Italy) was used. The MINIPET is an automatic continuous loading instrument analysing up to four blood samples simultaneously collected in standard K3-EDTA tubes, using an optical system that measures the erythrocytes sedimentation level. The data are then processed and printed or appear on a display. This method enables the use of the same sample tubes used for the blood count (K2-EDTA or K3-EDTA vials with the size as above of different brands) and also provides results (reported in mm/h), corrected at the temperature of 18°C according to Manley's nomogram, in 20 minutes [9 (link)].
To perform the original Westergren method (ESR-W), the Takives pipettes with the appropriate stand (Biosigma, Cona, VE, Italy) were used [3 (link)].
For each blood sample tested, the Hct value was assessed by a ProCyte Dx® hematology analyzer (IDEXX Laboratories Inc., Milan, Italy).
All the blood samples collected were divided into three groups to evaluate the interference of anemia in the blood samples: group 1, all blood samples; group 2, nonanemic blood samples (Hct ≥ 37%, range: 37.0–57.6%); and group 3, anemic blood samples (Hct < 37%, range: 10.2–36.7%).
To perform the ESR-MP, a MINIPET device (DIESSE, Diagnostica Senese S.p.A., Siena, Italy) was used. The MINIPET is an automatic continuous loading instrument analysing up to four blood samples simultaneously collected in standard K3-EDTA tubes, using an optical system that measures the erythrocytes sedimentation level. The data are then processed and printed or appear on a display. This method enables the use of the same sample tubes used for the blood count (K2-EDTA or K3-EDTA vials with the size as above of different brands) and also provides results (reported in mm/h), corrected at the temperature of 18°C according to Manley's nomogram, in 20 minutes [9 (link)].
To perform the original Westergren method (ESR-W), the Takives pipettes with the appropriate stand (Biosigma, Cona, VE, Italy) were used [3 (link)].
For each blood sample tested, the Hct value was assessed by a ProCyte Dx® hematology analyzer (IDEXX Laboratories Inc., Milan, Italy).
All the blood samples collected were divided into three groups to evaluate the interference of anemia in the blood samples: group 1, all blood samples; group 2, nonanemic blood samples (Hct ≥ 37%, range: 37.0–57.6%); and group 3, anemic blood samples (Hct < 37%, range: 10.2–36.7%).
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