Each of us met with the fact that sometimes, with a disease or just a routine examination, the doctor gave a referral for a general blood test. Among all the indicators, there was one, quite obscure - MCHC. What kind of indicator is this, why is it determined, and how does it change depending on the state of the body?
What is MCHC?
MCHC is a red blood cell index characterizing the state of our red blood cells - the main blood cells. This index shows how much hemoglobin is contained in all red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is the main blood protein responsible for the transport of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood. Thus, the MCHC shows how much oxygen can be bound and transported by all red blood cells.
The main method for determining MCHC is a blood test. Deciphering it indicates a reduced or increased amount of hemoglobin and determines the indications for treatment (if necessary).
This index is determined together with some others, for example, such as the average volume of an erythrocyte, the average hemoglobin content in an erythrocyte. These indicators indicate the activity and functional usefulness of red blood cells.
These indicators must be determined if the patient has anemia of various origins (reduction of red blood cells or hemoglobin), hereditary diseases associated with the formation of defective red blood cells, and also (indirectly) with respiratory failure.
The norm of this indicator
What is the norm of MCHC in a blood test? This unit is measured in grams per liter.
Depending on gender and age, several variants of the norm are distinguished:
- In children under 2 weeks, the norm of this indicator lies in the range from 280 to 350 g / l.
- Up to 4 months, the indicators increase slightly - up to 370 g / l, and up to 12 years are practically unchanged.
- From the age of 12, there is a slight difference in this indicator: for girls, the maximum is 360 g / l, and for boys it is up to 380. This is due to the onset of menstrual function, blood loss and hormonal changes.
- Until age 18, this difference persists; from 18 to 45 years, the indicators are aligned - 320-360g / l.
- Starting from 45 years old and until old age, the minimum value of this indicator decreases - the MCHC in the blood test of women is 300 g / l, while in men it remains unchanged (a decrease can be observed after 75 years). All this is due to the aging of the body and a decrease in the formation of new cells.
As you can see, the indicator is characterized by relative constancy and practically does not change throughout life. What other factors can affect the change in the level of MCHC?
Blood test - transcript
The norm of this indicator, as was said, lies in the range from 320 to 380 g / l. Together with it, the average red blood cell volume (MCV) and the average concentration of hemoglobin in one red blood cell (MCH) should be determined. These indicators are directly dependent on each other (if one changes, the others change). This is done for the differential diagnosis of anemia from each other, as well as to determine the usefulness of red blood cells and indications for blood transfusion.
In addition to them, the amount of hemoglobin must also be determined. If a normal amount is observed with MCHC within normal limits, attention should be paid to MCH. With its decrease, one can judge the presence of microcytic polycythemia (abundant blood saturation with small, poorly functioning red blood cells). Reverse data (a decrease in MCHC and hemoglobin with normal MCV and MCH) indicate a violation of transport protein synthesis.
Diseases leading to a change in this indicator
What can lead to a change in this erythrocyte index?
The main disease in which this indicator changes is anemia.
They can be of various genesis. Allocate anemia associated with impaired synthesis of red blood cells, with their increased decay, with their loss.
The first group of anemia refers to the pathology of the red blood cell. It can be observed during irradiation, as well as in certain diseases (gastritis, COPD).
Anemia of the second group is manifested as a result of excessive activity of the spleen - the main site of the breakdown of red blood cells. This is most often manifested in hypersplenism syndrome, when pathological activity of spleen cells is observed.
Blood loss anemia is observed in women with heavy periods, as well as in patients with bleeding ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.
It is under these conditions that a change in MCHC is usually observed. A blood test (decoding it) allows you to determine the nature of anemia.
Decrease in the level of this index
The erythrocyte saturation rate with hemoglobin is almost constant. It is used to determine the error of the work of analyzers.
The main method for determining MCHC is a blood test. This indicator is increased, most often as a result of a hardware error (conditions that lead to its increase are extremely rare). Usually there is a decrease in hemoglobin volume.
It also happens that with a normal, working apparatus, a low level of this erythrocyte index is determined. A decrease in concentration is most often observed with anemia, as mentioned above. The body does not have time to synthesize new, full-fledged red blood cells, and the lack of cells needs to be filled. It is because of this that the formation of cells with less than the required amount of hemoglobin occurs. These cells are not able to fully perform their function, which leads to the development of tissue hypoxia.
In some cases, there may be an error in the calculations (incorrect conditions for blood sampling, contamination of the tube), which leads to a decrease in the indicator. In this case, it is necessary to re-determine the amount of MCHC. A blood test (decoding it should already be carried out by a laboratory assistant, in order to avoid errors in the calculations) will have to be submitted again.
Rate increase
It is extremely rare, but it happens that the hemoglobin concentration indicator can exceed the norm. This is due to the development of hereditary diseases - hyperchromic anemia, as a result of which the form of red blood cells is disturbed (normally it is disk-shaped, and with pathology - oval, spherical). In addition, with hyperosmolar disorders (associated with the electrolyte composition of the blood), the relative amount of hemoglobin may increase, which suggests a repeated, for the determination of MCHC, blood test. It can be increased in the case of the formation of red blood cells normal in volume, but with an increase in the amount of hemoglobin in them (which will inevitably lead to an increase in the color index).
Conditions are quite rare, and usually their manifestation is attributed to negligence in the study (except for spherocytosis - it is perfectly determined even with a light microscope).
That is why, usually, a repeated study is required, which allows determining the concentration of MCHC on another device.
Research Errors
Sometimes you can observe the following picture when determining MCHC. A blood test (decryption - elevated) is performed with a number of violations. When preliminary determining the shape of red blood cells and the presence of normal, disc-shaped cells, it should immediately be suspected that the study was carried out incorrectly. A poorly washed test tube with the remains of foreign blood, the expired shelf life of the reagents, and incorrect analyzer settings may contribute to this. When re-examining on another device or when manually counting, the MCHC level is usually within normal limits (unless anemia has been detected before).
Sometimes blood is taken with a syringe. As a result of this, red blood cell damage occurs with the release of hemoglobin into the plasma, due to which a small level of MCHC is sometimes determined. A blood test (decoding - lowered) indicates either the presence of anemia (if all the conditions of the study are met) or a significant damage to red blood cells, which created a picture of a decrease in the level of the red blood cell index.
What should be done with a decrease in the indicator?
As was said, a decrease in MCHC is due to a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood. To increase it, some mandatory events are held.
First of all, the patient’s diet is adjusted. With a decrease in hemoglobin in the plasma, the patient is shown taking such products as apples, beef and pork liver, pomegranates and pomegranate juice, meat. All of them contribute to the improvement of hemoglobin synthesis and increase its concentration (as well as the level of MCHC) in the blood. After a certain course of “diet therapy”, a general blood test should be performed. Decoding MCHC will determine the effectiveness of the reception of these products, the effectiveness of such a “treatment” and the definition of indications for taking medication.
If the products do not help, it is necessary to resort to the parenteral administration of vitamins and iron preparations to normalize the state of the body.
Where is the study conducted?
If you are concerned for a long time with weakness, fatigue, weakness, then all this can talk about the development of anemia. Therefore, the determination of MCHC (blood test) should be performed. Decryption will allow you to understand what is happening to you.
This analysis can be taken at any healthcare institution where there is a more or less equipped laboratory. In outpatient clinics, usually, there is no such equipment, so the patient is forced to go to a city or district hospital (clinic).
The procedure is quite fast. After a few hours, you can get a ready-made blood test. MCHC (the norm of which was mentioned above), more precisely, its level, will help determine whether the case is in anemia or whether usual fatigue and mental strain occur.
The analysis is usually carried out as prescribed by the doctor, although it can be done for a fee. Its price is low, which makes it affordable for anyone.
Why is the definition of this indicator so important?
Anemia is a formidable harbinger of various disorders in the body. If you do not diagnose it in time, you can start the condition so much that the patient will need, if not a hematopoietic tissue transplant, then a massive transfusion of blood components (in particular, red blood cells). That is why, in the presence of the first symptoms of anemia, it is imperative to conduct a blood test and carefully examine its indicators. However, you should not try to recover yourself; it is better to show the results of the tests to the doctor, so that he determines the further tactics of treatment and can timely identify and prevent many malfunctions in the body. Self-medication, in this case, can only harm and worsen everything.
If treatment was started in a timely manner, it is possible to bring all blood counts to normal levels and return the patient to his daily affairs.