Diagnosis of Skin Parasites, Bacteria, and Fungi and Their Impact on Hematological Parameters in Patients with T-LGL Leukemia
Nadia Ahmed Hadi Al-ubaidi, Suzan Khalid Kadhim, Zainab Hudhi FarhoodIntroduction:
T-cell Large Granular Lymphocyte (T-LGL) leukemia is a chronic lym-phoproliferative disorder associated with cytopenias and immune dysregulation, predisposing pa-tients to infections. However, the prevalence and hematological impact of cutaneous immunocom-promised-associated infections, bacterial, and fungal infections in these patients remain insufficiently characterized.
Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted on 60 patients with T-LGL leukemia and 60 healthy controls. Infection screening was performed using clinical examination, direct microscopy, and mi-crobiological culture. Hematological parameters, including total White Blood Cell (WBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC), platelet counts, and differential leukocyte counts, were analyzed. Statistical anal-ysis was performed using SPSS version 26, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results:
Parasitic infections were most prevalent (38%), followed by bacterial (32%) and fungal in-fections (30%). Common pathogens included Sarcoptes scabiei and Leishmania tropica (parasitic), Staphylococcus aureus (bacterial), and dermatophytes (fungal). Parasitic infections were significantly associated with eosinophilia and lymphocytosis (p < 0.05), while bacterial and fungal infections showed increased neutrophil percentages. Compared to controls, infected patients exhibited leukope-nia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Infection burden was higher in females, and age-related peaks were observed for L. tropica (30–40 years) and dermatophyte infections (20–30 years).
Discussion:
These findings highlight distinct infection-specific hematological alterations in T-LGL leukemia, emphasizing the role of immunocompromised-associated infections in worsening cytope-nias. Limitations include the retrospective design and limited sample size.
Conclusion:
Recognition of infection patterns and their hematological impact may improve diagnos-tic evaluation and guide targeted infection surveillance, ultimately reducing morbidity in T-LGL leu-kemia patients.