The Conflict Hematology Phenotype: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Analysis of Hematological Profiles in Yemeni Adults from a War-Torn Region

Background: There is limited data on normal blood profiles in conflict-affected regions of Yemen. These settings often lack appropriate international reference ranges.


Objective: This study characterizes complete blood count and coagulation parameters in healthy adults of Al-Dhale' Governorate, Yemen, providing the idea of a Conflict Hematology Phenotype.


Methods: Complete blood counts were conducted on blood samples using a Sysmex XP-3000 tm for 258 healthy Yemeni adults, whereas coagulation tests (PT, APTT, bleeding time) were done through standardized manual tests only. We provide the descriptive statistics focusing on sex-based differences. With this difficult environment in place.


Results: Both genders had rather low MCV (about 84 fL) and high platelet counts (>290 x 109/L). Sex differences were expected: the men had better hemoglobin (14.58 +- 0.89 vs. 12.75 +- 0.68 g/dl, p < 0.001) whereas women had longer APTT (39 +- 7 vs. 37 +- 10 sec, p = 0.03). When compared to WHO standards, it is possible to insinuate that about 17% in diagnostic misclassification would be minimized by the use of local reference values.


Conclusion: This paper offers a description of what we call the “Conflict Hematology Phenotype in Yemeni adults, which is microcytosis and thrombocytosis. These findings may not be conclusive reference points because of the difficulties of conducting war-related research, but they provide useful principle to clinicians working in comparable humanitarian contexts and also indicate the necessity of conducting additional research on the impact of conflict on human physiology.