HEMATOLOGICAL-CHANGES IN ANOREXIA-NERVOSA ARE CORRELATED WITH TOTAL-BODY FAT MASS DEPLETION

Objective: To assess the relationships between total body fat mass (FM ) and hematological abnormalities in anorexia nervosa (AN). Method: Pe ripheral blood parameters and body composition were determined in 10 a norectic patients and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. In pat ients with AN, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of bone marrow were also performed. Results: Compared with controls, patients with A N had -47% body weight, -81% FM, -18.8% lean tissue mass (LTM), and -2 2.6% bone mineral content; they also had lower mean total leukocyte (4 .52 +/- 0.47 vs. 6.28 +/- 0.33 x 10(3)/mu l, p < .005), neutrophil (2. 45 +/- 0.34 vs. 3.46 +/- 0.20 x 10(3)/mu l, p < .005), monocyte (0.24 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.37 +/- 0.03 x 10(3)/mu l, p < .05), and platelet counts (184 +/- 17 vs. 238 +/- 9 x 10(3)/mu l, p < .005). Hemoglobin level w as normal and comparable in both groups. In patients with AN, but not in controls, total leukocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, and monocyte cou nts as well as hemoglobin level were highly correlated with FM express ed in absolute values or in percentage of body weight, but not with LT M. Moreover, AN patients with signal intensity patterns suggestive of serous atrophy of bone marrow at MRI had not only lower erythrocyte, l eukocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts, but they also had lower FM than AN patients with normal MRI patterns. Discussion: Hematological c hanges in AN, as assessed by peripheral blood parameters and MRI patte rns of bone marrow, are correlated with total body FM depletion, sugge sting that the reduction of adipose tissue adversely affects hematopoi esis. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.