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The basophils should remain within the normal range, generally between 0% and 2%. Some clinicians believe that, as in the case of neutrophils, the absolute basophil count is more important than the percentage of basophils and should fall between 0 to 0.3 k/ul. The absolute basophil count is calculated by multiplying the percentage of basophils (in decimal form) by the total number of white blood cells.
However, other clinicians do not give importance to the absolute basophil counts and merely relies on the % basophils.
One should monitor blasts in the peripheral blood. Blasts are immature white blood cells and individuals with leukemia have an excessive number of blasts in their peripheral blood and bone marrow. With appropriate treatment, there should not be any blasts in the peripheral blood and fewer than 5% in a bone marrow aspirate.
Platelets also constitute an important component in the hematological picture for a CML patient. An escalated and uncontrolled platelet count may indicate disease progression and is cause for concern. In general, with appropriate treatment, platelet levels should fall within the normal range (150 to 450 k/ul) without platelet-lowering medication. Platelet levels may be depressed in patients on myelosuppressive therapy such as IM and it is important they remain at adequate levels.
Finally, one should keep an eye on hemoglobin and hematocrit counts. If one's treatment suppresses the counts, it is important not to become too anemic. Normal hemoglobin levels range from 14.0 to 17.0 gm/dL and the hematocrit value should fall between 40.0% and 52.0%.
See the hematopoeisis diagram
What are LFTs or Liver FunctionTests ?
KH: In addition to monitoring CBCs and blood differentials, it is critical to monitor liver counts through Liver Function Tests (LFTs), a group of blood tests that can help to show how well a person's liver is working. LFTs include measurements of total protein, albumin, various liver enzymes such as ALT and AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin.
Total Protein measures the amount of proteins in the bloodstream. Normal total protein levels in the bloodstream range from 6.5 to 8.2 gm/dL (grams per deciliter). Two of the main proteins found in the bloodstream are albumin and globulin.
Albumin is a protein made in the liver. If the liver is badly damaged, it can no longer produce albumin. Albumin maintains the amount of blood in the veins and arteries. When albumin levels become very low, fluid can leak out from the blood vessels into nearby tissues, causing swelling in the feet and ankles. Very low levels of albumin may indicate liver damage. The normal albumin range is from 3.9 gm/dL to 5.0 gm/dL.
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