In a blood test, a point is often observed where granulocytes are indicated - these are particles called white cells, or granular leukocytes. By the number of these components, it is possible to correctly diagnose a person's disease state. With any ailment, the biomaterial of blood cells is subjected to laboratory research.
Why do you need to determine blood counts
In blood tests, granulocytes are the main parameter for assessing the general condition of the body. Any process of inflammation is accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of granular bodies. The disease can be detected before the development of serious conditions according to the results of laboratory tests.
The most accurate results are obtained on automatic equipment, eliminating errors due to inexperienced personnel. In the latest testing methods, the results are often given in terms and abbreviations, which must be interpreted by the clinic staff. For ease of perception, comments are prescribed in the analyzes, which may differ in different laboratories.
In addition to granulocytes, other blood parameters are given in the research results: hemoglobin, platelets, erythrocytes, etc. This allowswrite a detailed report on any stage of the disease. If necessary, the doctor will refer the person for additional tests to confirm the suspected diagnosis.
What kinds are there?
Granulocytes are (they include basophils, eosinophils and neutrophils) human protective cells. When viewed under high magnification, the granular structure of blood cells becomes noticeable. In the body, they make up more than 50% of all white blood cells.
Granulocytes are the following blood particles:
- basophils, which are immune scout cells;
- eosinophils that absorb relatively small sizes of foreign inclusions in the human body;
- neutrophils are the main protector of human blood, destroying bacteria in the body. They are also called leukocytes.
For the normal functioning of the protective mechanisms of the human body requires a huge number of neutrophils. Basophils, on the other hand, do not enter into a fight, their task is to report the presence of a foreign substance in time. Therefore, their content in the blood is minimal.
What are white blood cells?
The main granulocytes are neutrophils, otherwise referred to as leukocytes. Their task is to rid the body of the following types of pathogenic microorganisms: viruses, bacteria, parasites. An increase in their number indicates the fight against infections and that the patient should be tested for the listed types of infection.
Infection may beinternal, therefore, without a doctor, it will be difficult to find the source of the ailment, and in the absence of a medical education, one can get confused in terms and definitions. Leukocytes are inhibited and die under the influence of potent drugs. This should be remembered and before taking the tests, you need to take a break from taking the drugs.
Also, the number of leukocytes decreases in conditions where a person has blood diseases. The task of white cells is to destroy pathogenic particles by absorption. As a result, the protective bodies die. Before they develop this ability, they undergo a maturation process.
Leukocytes (neutrophils) are produced in the bone marrow. Some of them are always located in the parietal space of the vessels, the rest constantly wander around the body. Their life time is about 7 days in the blood fluid. In tissues, the lifespan is reduced and is no more than 2 days.
Eosinophilic leukocytes
In research, blood cells are stained with special dyes. And this group of granulocytes is so called because of the use of eosin. The acid dye only reacts with the named bodies. And a change in color is also required because the structure of the grains of eosinophils is blurred, it is difficult to distinguish them when they are significantly exceeded.
If these granulocytes in the blood are elevated, then we can conclude that there is an allergic reaction. Often, these little bodies accumulate after infection of the body with parasites. Eosinophils effectively fight pathological agents - antigen-antibody. The latter appear as a result of the destruction of foreign microorganisms.
White bodies - scouts
The protective function of the body is supported by basophils. When detecting viruses and bacteria, scout cells increase blood flow and increase fluid flow in the area of inflammation.
If granulocytes are elevated, the causes of this condition are as follows:
- chemical contamination of a person;
- poisoning with poison, low-quality food;
- ingestion of substances to which an acute allergic reaction is formed (eosinophils are the main source of anaphylactic shock);
- reaction to a powerful drug.
Eosinophils are able to dissolve allergic substances due to vitamin E, which is present in their composition in large quantities. It is released outside to neutralize foreign substances in the human body, due to which, by the way, shock conditions develop. A feature of these white cells is the ability to exist outside of blood vessels.
Measurements
If granulocytes are elevated, the reasons are the spread of infection throughout the body. The analyzes indicate the quantitative values of the norm in the range from 1.2 to 6.8 by 10 to the 9th degree. This total number may not change, but the ratio of neutrophils, basophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils varies. Indicators are indicated as a percentage:
- Basophils depend on age: up to 1 year from 0.4 to 0.9%, up to 21 years from 0.6 to1%.
- Eosinophils have a norm of 120 to 350 per 1 ml of blood. In the morning, the norm values exceed 15% of the usual state, in the first half of the night - by 30%. Fluctuations in values occur with changes in the work of the adrenal glands.
- Normal neutrophils can be stab - no more than 6% and segmented - no more than 70%, but not less than 40%.
Leukocyte lymphocytes are the basis of immunity
Human immunity is described by two components. These include leukocytes and additionally used granulocyte antibodies - these are lymphocytes, which are also white blood cells. They fight viruses, cancer cells, bacteria. In the process of destroying foreign particles, stable bonds are formed, called antibodies. This is how a stable defense against subsequent infections by the same cells is formed.
When reading the transcript of tests, patients often have the question: increased leukocytes and decreased lymphocytes-granulocytes - what does this mean? Answering it, specialists pay attention to the state of other blood parameters and the patient's complaints and identify symptoms to obtain a reliable picture of the ailment.
Lower lymphocyte counts are associated with certain factors:
- Drugs, chemotherapy, oncology education. Antibiotics are negative for blood cells: penicillin, sulfanilamide.
- Development of agranulocytosis.
- Anemia (it is accompanied by a decrease in lymphocytes and hemoglobin).
- Variouskind of viral infections: herpes, hepatitis, tuberculosis, influenza.
- Inflammation in the body.
- Irradiation of a person with ionizing waves (this condition is called radiation sickness).
- Other types of violation: radiation exposure, poisoning, injury.
Inflated values
When the norm of granulocytes is exceeded, an appropriate diagnosis is made. So, eosinophilia is observed in a huge list of diseases: leukemia, tumor formations, allergies, radiation, heart defects. This condition needs to be treated, and recovery of indicators will occur when the inflammation passes.
Neutrophilia is established after deciphering adverse tests. Large quantitative values, for example, indicate infection and purulent inflammation in the body. Also, granulocytes increase with myocardial infarction and poisoning after an insect bite.
Basophilia occurs with chemical or poisoning, with the development of tumors. Large values of granulocytes indicate protein saturation of the blood, which means that the body is fighting against foreign bodies.
