Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A routine blood test measuring red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. CBC monitoring is relevant for peptide drugs that affect blood cell counts — romiplostim stimulates platelet production for thrombocytopenia, and neutrophil counts are monitored in conditions like Barth syndrome treated with elamipretide.
Technical Context
CBC components: red blood cells (RBC count, haemoglobin, haematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW), white blood cells (total WBC, differential: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils), and platelets (count, MPV). For peptide drug monitoring: romiplostim (platelet count monitoring — target ≥50,000/μL; excessive response risks thrombosis), elamipretide (neutrophil count — monitoring for Barth syndrome-associated neutropenia improvement), carfilzomib/bortezomib (monitoring for chemotherapy-induced cytopaenia — thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, anaemia), and GnRH agonists (monitoring androgen deprivation effects — anaemia from testosterone suppression). CBC with peripheral blood smear is essential for: detecting thrombotic microangiopathy (potential complication of some biologics), monitoring reticulin fibrosis risk with romiplostim (schistocytes on smear may indicate developing fibrosis), and overall safety surveillance during peptide drug therapy.