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Old Sun Oct 16, 2011, 04:37 PM
mscrzy1 mscrzy1 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: California
Posts: 103
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sally C View Post
Hey Angie,
My husband's MCV is 109.9 - high normal is 98 on his CBC. What does this mean? He's in a new clinical trial at NIH for Promacta to raise his platelets. While not setting the world on fire, his platelets were 28,000 on Thurs. This has enabled him to go months without a platelet transfusion (around 10,000 - 12,000 is when he would usually get transfused). His reds are holding as well although again not setting the world on fire - 8.8 last Thurs. They would transfuse him when he would get under 8. He has been transfusion dependent since 1/09.
Maesmom - Forgive me for hijacking your thread but I saw Angie's comment and hoped she could answer this. I have been watching his MCV steadily go up.
Thanks for any info you can give me.
God Bless,
Sally, wife of MDS patient
It means that his bone marrow is working harder to produce the cells it's producing. The higher the MCV, the harder it is working. Many times you'll see a really high MCV after treatments like ATG because your counts were suppressed so low while undergoing the treatment itself and your bone marrow is working hard to bring those counts up. My MCV after ATG was in the 120's. When my counts started to stabilize and then rise, my MCV started to go down. I've seen that when dealing with bone marrow failure, my MCV and blood counts are sort of like a teeter totter. Counts down, MCV up. MCV down, counts up. So, basically if his treatment starts to work and you see his counts start to rise, you'll probably see his MCV start to drop. But because the MCV isn't dropping yet doesn't mean that the treatment isn't going to work or working. I saw my counts respond first and then the MCV start to drop. I hope I answered your question.
__________________
Angie

36 yr. old, dx SAA in Jan 1996, treated with ATG in Mar. 1996, off cyclosporine Sept. 1996, last blood transfusion in Aug. 1997, slow decline in counts again November 2010, AA and current count decline thought to be caused by lupus, currently taking 400mg Plaquinil

Last edited by mscrzy1 : Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 05:02 PM. Reason: added comment
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