Performance evaluation of the Sysmex XN‐1000V in side‐by‐side comparison with the Siemens ADVIA 120 and manual methods for healthy CD Sprague–Dawley rats and CD‐1 mice

Background The Sysmex XN‐1000V automated hematology analyzer with multispecies software was released in June 2017 for use in research laboratories. Laser light, impedance, fluorescent staining, and fluorescent flow cytometry are used to analyze whole blood for CBC, reticulocyte counts, and WBC counts, including a 5‐part differential leukocyte analysis. Objectives A side‐by‐side comparison of the Sysmex XN‐1000V with the Siemens ADVIA 120 in analyzing blood from healthy mice and rats will provide insight into the performance of the new analyzer and its capabilities for use in drug development studies. Method correlation analyses on normal mouse and rat hematology data collected with both analyzers and manual reference methods will help determine the reliability of the data produced using the Sysmex XN‐1000V analyzer. Methods Whole blood samples collected in K2EDTA from healthy CD‐1 mice and CD Sprague–Dawley rats were analyzed in parallel with the XN‐1000V and ADVIA 120 analyzers. Male and female mice, approximately 6–9 weeks old, and male and female rats, approximately 7–9 weeks old, were included in this study. Manual reference methods for WBC differential leukocyte analysis and packed cell volume (PCV) measurements were also performed. EP Evaluator version 11.2 (Data Innovations LLC, South Burlington, VT, USA) was used for method comparison statistical analysis. Results Most hematologic parameters for naïve mice and rats achieved correlation in the fair to excellent range, with the majority showing very good to excellent correlation with low biases (