Reticulocyte

RBCs stages :

1. Pronormoblast
2. Basophilic normoblast
3. Polychromatophilic normoblast Bone Marrow
4. Orthochromic normoblast
5. Reticuloc 2-3 day B.M. ,
6. yte
1 day P.B.
7. Mature red blood cell.
peripheral blood
Reticulocyte
** Immature RBCs that have been recently released from the
bone marrow , contain residual (RNA) , this rRNA is metabolized
over the first 24-36 H of the reticulocytes life span in circulation .

 Reticulocyte ~ 1 day in peripheral blood

 Normal value :
 1-2%
 Then the B.M. replaces approximately 0.8 - 1 % of
the adult red blood cells every day.
 ‫רטיקולוציטים‪- ‬‬
‫‪ -‬הם‪ ‬תאי דם אדומים‪ ‬צעירים‪ ,‬שרק השתחררו ממח העצם‪ ‬אל זרם הדם‪ ,‬לאחר יום בו שהו בזרם‬
‫הדם הם מסיימים את תהליך התבגרותם והופכים לכדוריות דם אדומות רגילות‪ .‬שמם של‬
‫הרטיקולוציטים נגזר מכך שבעזרת מיקרוסקופ ניתן לראות דרך קרום התא את ה רטיקולום‬
‫אנדופלסמי‪( ‬אברון הנמצא בציטופלזמה ומהווה מדור תאי מסועף מאוד בעל פעילויות ייחודיות)‬
‫ובתוכם יש שרידי‪RNA ‬שנצבעים בצביעה מיוחדת כ"רשת"‪.‬‬
Corrected Reticulocyte Count
- the patient’s reticulocyte count is compared
with the expected reticulocyte response.
- In general, if the EPO and erythroid
marrow responses to moderate anemia
[hemoglobin <100 g/L (10 g/dL)] are intact,
the red cell production rate increases to
two to three times normal within 10 days
following the onset of anemia
The first correction adjusts the reticulocyte count
.based on the reduced number of circulating red cells
With anemia, the percentage of reticulocytes may be
.increased while the absolute number is unchanged

Reticulocyte = Absulute
reticulocyte % X (Hct of patient /normal hct )
Or
reticulocyte % X (HG of patient /normal HG )
: Example

If a patient presenting with a reticulocyte

count of 10% with a hematocrit of 22% , the
:corrected reticulocyte would be
= Corrected reticulocyte count
4.9% =45/ 22% × 10%
Reticulocyte Production Index (RPI)

• To correct for the increased time spent in maturation in the

peripheral blood, the reticulocyte production index is
calculated by dividing the corrected reticulocyte count by the
number of days the reticulocyte most probably takes to
mature in the blood
Reticulocyte Production Index (RPI)
Table 1
Maturation Time of reticulocytes
Maturation Time ( Days) Hematocrit (%)
1 45
1.5 35
2 25
3 15

 Retic Production Index (RPI) = Corrected retic count

(%) / # Days (Maturation time)
 Reticulocyte Production Index (RPI)
• For example, a patient with a reticulocyte
count of 10% and a hematocrit of 22% would
yield an RPI of :
•  RPI =10% × ( 22%/ 45%) / 2 = 2.4