Background: The speed and quality of information have become essential items in the release of laboratory reports. The Sysmex®SP1000-I device has been developed to prepare and stain smear slides. However, for a device to be cleared for use in the laboratory routine it must pass through a validation process. Objective: To evaluate the performance and reliability of the Sysmex® SP-1000i slide preparer-stainer incorporated into the routine of a hospital laboratory in Porto Alegre. Methods: Peripheral blood samples of patients attending the laboratory for ambulatory exams with leukocyte counts between 7000/°L and 12,000/°L were evaluated, independent of gender and age. Two slides were prepared for each sample using the Sysmex® SP-1000i equipment; one of the slides was used to perform quality control tests using the CellaVision® DM96 device, and the other slide was used to compare pre-classification by the same device and the classification performed by a pharmacist-biochemist. Results: The results of all the slides used as controls were acceptable according to the quality control test as established by the manufacturer of the device. In the comparison between the automated pre-classification and the classification made by the professional, there was an acceptable variation in the differential counts of leukocytes for 90% of the analyzed slides. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a strong correlation for band neutrophils (r = 0.802; p-value < 0.001), segmented neutrophils (r = 0.963; p-value < 0.001), eosinophils (r = 0.958; p-value < 0.001), lymphocytes (r = 0.985; p-value < 0.001) and atypical lymphocytes (r = 0.866; p-value < 0.001) using both methods. The red blood cell analysis was adequate for all slides analyzed by the equipment and by the professional. Conclusion: The new Sysmex®SP1000-i methodology was found to be reliable, fast and safe for the routines of medium and large laboratories, improving the quality of microscopic analysis in complete blood counts.

FUNDAMENTOS: As doenças cardiovasculares são um importante problema de saúde pública, e as respostas adaptativas e protetoras da vasculatura contra o estresse oxidativo são importantes na prevenção da aterosclerose. A bilirrubina tem sido considerada um antioxidante, com capacidade de remover espécies reativas de oxigênio. Estudos têm demonstrado que a concentração de bilirrubina sérica aumentada promove proteção contra aterosclerose. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a possível existência de relação entre a carga aterosclerótica de pacientes com doença arterial coronariana e a concentração de bilirrubina. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal composto por 81 pacientes com diagnóstico angiográfico estabelecido de doença arterial coronariana, submetidos a revascularização miocárdica. Foram avaliados os fatores de risco clássicos e a dosagem de bilirrubina. Foram utilizados os testes do qui-quadrado, teste t de Student ou Mann-Whitney, sendo considerado p < 0,05 estatisticamente significativo. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi composta predominantemente por homens, com média de idade de 59,32 ± 9,28 anos no grupo com lesão mínima/moderada e 61,79 ± 7,55 anos no grupo com lesão grave. A mediana da bilirrubina total no grupo com lesão mínima/moderada foi de 0,34 mg/dL, enquanto no grupo com lesão grave foi de 0,43 mg/dL, diferente do esperado. A concentração de bilirrubina total foi maior no grupo com carga aterosclerótica grave que no grupo com carga mínima/moderada, embora sem significância estatística (p = 0,241). CONCLUSÃO: Níveis séricos de bilirrubina não se mostraram úteis na detecção ou predição da gravidade da lesão aterosclerótica dos pacientes com doença arterial coronariana.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are an important public health problem. Adaptive and protective responses of the vascular system against oxidative stress are important in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Bilirubin has been considered an antioxidant, with the capacity to remove reactive species of oxygen. Previous studies have demonstrated that increased serum bilirubin concentrations promote protection against atherosclerosis. PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between the atherosclerotic burden and the bilirubin concentration of patients with coronary artery disease. METHOD: Transversal study composed of 81 patients with established angiographic diagnosis of coronary artery disease, submitted to myocardial revascularization. Classical risk factors and bilirubin levels were assessed. The chi-square, the t Student test or the Mann-Whitney test were used with p value significant at < 0.05. RESULTS: The sample was composed predominantly of men, with a mean age of 59.32 ± 9.28 years in the minimum/moderate atherosclerotic burden group and 61.79 ± 7.55 years in the severe burden group. The median of total bilirubin in the minimum/moderate atherosclerosis burden group was 0.34 mg/dL and 0.43 mg/dL in the severe burden group. Differently than expected, the concentration of total bilirubin was higher in the group with severe atherosclerotic burden than in the group with minimum/moderate burden, although without statistical significance (p = 0.241). CONCLUSION: Serum bilirubin levels were not useful in the detection or prediction of the severity of atherosclerotic lesions in patients with coronary artery disease.