ERYTHROCYTE OSMOTIC FRAGILITY TEST IN DOGS - PREANALYTICAL AND ANALYTICAL VALIDATION, FREQUENT VALUES, VARIATIONS WITH DISEASES

The erythrocyte osmotic fragility test has been performed in 26 health y dogs, using buffered phosphate solutions and whole blood collected o n lithium heparin. Reference interval (0.015;0.9985 interquantile) of NaCl50 was [0.38;0.55 %NaCl]. Out of 90 dogs with various diseases, 23 had elevated values of NaCl50 but this parameter was only systematica lly increased in immune mediated anemias. Other distempers determined increases of osmotic fragility in only some animals : babesiosis, leis hmaniosis, cancers. In 8 dogs with various diseases decrease of osmoti c fragility has been observed. This test does not provide additional i nformation except for the montoring of dogs with immune mediated anemi as. It is cumbersome and not justified in routine practice but could b e useful for in vitro cytotoxicity testing.