Red Blood Cell Parameters and Their Correlation with Renal Function Tests Among Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients show a significant derangement in various hematological parameters including changes affecting the red blood cells (RBCs). All these derangements have an imposing effect on any of the RBC indices. Thus, the main aim of this study was determining the RBCs parameters and their correlation with renal function, and also the magnitude of anemia in DM patients in comparison with healthy controls. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the chronic illness clinic of University of Gondar Hospital from January to April 2020. A total of 246 participants (164 DM and 82 controls) were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Five milliliters venous blood was collected by vacutainer blood collection technique. RBC parameters and renal function tests were determined by using Sysmex KX21N and BS-200E Mindray analyzers, respectively. The data were tested for normality using Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. Independent sample t-test and Pearson's and Spearman correlation statistics were used to analyze variables. A p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The mean hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration was 13.8 +/- 0.7 and 15 +/- 1.3 among DM and controls, respectively. RBC (p=0.014), Hgb (p <0.001), hematocrit (Hct) (p <0.001), and mean cell volume (MCV) (p <0.001) were significantly lower in DM patients as compared to controls. On the other hand, mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was significantly increased in DM patients (p <0.001) than the controls. Besides, a significant negative correlation was found between Hgb and creatinine (Cr) in DM patients. Conclusion: The mean values of RBC parameters (RBC, Hgb, Hct, and MCV) for DM patients were found significantly lower than the control groups. Besides a significant negative correlation was found between Cr and RBC indices (RBC, Hgb, Hct, and MCV) in DM patients. It is, therefore, suggested that RBC parameters abnormalities should be evaluated and treated periodically in DM patients for better prognosis and quality of life.