Elevated lymphocytes: who is to blame and what to do?

Human blood consists of many important components, each of which carries out its function and supports human health. Lymphocytes are blood cells that are an integral part of the immune system and play a crucial role in the body's resistance to various diseases. They are responsible for cellular and humoral immunity, for the production of antibodies and immunoglobulins, and for the interaction of certain cells that provide local immunity.

Lymphocytes have their own classification. Isolate NK-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes. Each species reacts to a certain type of danger and performs certain functions. As soon as an aggressor invades an organism, which provokes some disease, or an inflammatory process starts, and if pathologically altered or cancerous cells appear somewhere, he immediately reacts with the production of lymphocytes.

Elevated lymphocytes indicate that the protective mechanisms of the immune system have started, which, in turn, is a sign of certain health problems. This condition, when a clinical blood test reveals an excess of the norm of lymphocytes, is called lymphocytosis.

It should be noted that elevated lymphocytes may be the result of reactive or malignant lymphocytosis. What is reactive lymphocytosis, is evident from the name. This increase in the number of lymphocytes, provoked by a reaction to the penetration of an aggressor. So the struggle of the immune system with diseases manifests itself, and it can be compared with the mobilization of troops, and lymphocytes - with those same troops.

Most often, elevated blood lymphocytes are a reaction to viral infections (influenza, acute respiratory viral infection, cytomegalovirus, rubella, chickenpox , etc.), infectious diseases of a non-viral nature (syphilis, tuberculosis, diphtheria), allergic reactions and hormonal failures. To determine for what reason the elevated lymphocytes were detected, the doctor needs to find out about other possible symptoms disturbing the patient.

Malignant lymphocytosis is an excess of white blood cell count against the background of leukemia development. It is often accompanied by an increase in the lymph nodes, liver or spleen, but one should not be alarmed by finding high lymphocytes and enlarged lymph nodes. Assess the symptoms and draw any conclusions can only specialist.

Norms of keeping white blood cells in the laboratory's blood are usually written on their forms, but the mistake of almost all of them is that they do not decipher the age norms. This is very important, because during the human life, this indicator varies. For an adult, the level of 35-40% of lymphocytes is normal, for a newborn is 15-35%, for children from 1 to 2 years, from 35% to 60%. Therefore, if the parents have detected elevated lymphocytes in a child, first we need to make sure that we are talking about correctly specified age norms. If it really is about exceeding the norm, it's up to the doctor to decide how to act. Let alone or ignore elevated lymphocytes can not.