Eosinophils are one of the leukocyte groups( white blood cells).They belong to the neutrophilic series, but differ from neutrophils by certain features. They are slightly larger. The nuclei of their contain the smallest number of parts( usually 2-3).
Under the microscope in the cytoplasm of these cells, a corresponding abundant granularity of orange-pink color is visible. It consists of a huge number of homogeneous granules. When a blood test is done, eosinophils are counted in a smear under a microscope or determined on a hematological analyzer.
The increased level of eosinophils in the blood in an adult indicates a number of problems in the body that a person has encountered. High content can talk about an allergic reaction, not always acute type, about a variety of bacterial infections or the vital activity of parasitic worms.
This is due to the fact that eosinophils are cells that react immediately to the above problems and, together with basophils, they can be attributed to direct markers on hypersensitivity reactions in the body.
The role of eosinophils in the body
The functions of eosinophils are varied, some of them very similaron the function of other white blood cells. They are involved in numerous inflammatory processes, especially those associated with allergic reactions. In addition, eosinophils have certain physiological roles in the formation of organs( for example, in the development of the mammary gland after childbirth).
The following functions of the represented cells are distinguished:
- finding in the place where inflammation takes place;
- prevention of adverse effects of potentially hazardous substances;
- cell destruction;
- antiparasitic and bactericidal activity.
Eosinophils in the blood can not only have a positive effect, but also a negative. They do not give potentially dangerous microorganisms to get into the human body, but there are cases when they are associated with pathological changes. A good example is Leffler's disease.
Norm
In adults, the norm of eosinophils in the blood is 0.4x109 / l, the norm in children is somewhat higher( up to 0.7x109 / l).However, with respect to the content of other immune cells, the normal number of eosinophils in adults and children varies between 1-5%.
Elevated eosinophils in the blood and other body fluids can be caused by a variety of factors.
Reasons for increasing eosinophils in the blood
Why are eosinophils raised in an adult, what does it say? Eosinophils above the norm cause a special state of the body, which is called eosinophilia. There are various degrees of this ailment:
- Easy - cell count reaches 10%
- Average - 10 to 15% of eosinophils
- Heavy form of - more than 15 percent. This degree of disease can be expressed by oxygen starvation at the cellular or tissue level.
In medical practice, there is the most common and easily memorized abbreviation, which helps to easily remember the most well-known causes of eosinophilia.
Pokaa - parasites( giardiasis, ascariasis, opisthorchiasis), tumors, collagenoses, allergies, asthma. This is the top 5 most common causes due to which there is an increase in eosinophils in the blood.
In more rare cases, the cause of increased eosinophils are other diseases:
- Acute leukemia.
- Tuberculosis.
- Hereditary eosinophilia.
- Rheumatic fever( rheumatic fever).
- Exudative reactions of various origins.
- Vagotonia( irritation of the vagus nerve), vegetative-vascular dystonia.
- Decreased functional abilities of the thyroid gland( hypothyroidism).
It is necessary to know that these cells do not always benefit the body. Fighting an infection, they can provoke an allergy themselves. When the number of eosinophils exceeds 5% of the total number of leukocytes, not only eosinophilia is formed. In the place of accumulation of these cells, inflammatory changes in tissues are formed. By this principle, children often have rhinitis and laryngeal edema.
Physiological causes of
The content of eosinophils varies depending on the effect of various factors:
- The highest rates of this cell can be observed only at night, when a person sleeps, and in the daytime, respectively - the lowest.
- Analysis reveals variations in the number of cells in women throughout the menstrual cycle: in the initial stages, their number increases, after ovulation gradually decreases;
- Treatment with some medicines may affect the indicator: medications for tuberculosis, penicillins, aspirin, diphenhydramine, sulfanilamide and gold preparations, complexes with vitamin B, chymotrypsin, imipramine, miscilon, papaverine, euphyllin, beta blockers, chlorpropamide, hormonal drugs and t. d;
- Nutritional regimen: sweets or alcohol increase the likelihood that the analysis will be incorrect.
The newly discovered elevated eosinophils in a blood test require a second study and a study of the change in their number in the dynamics( several sequential analyzes).
Elevated eosinophils in the child
Depending on the age of the child, the following factors may be the cause of excess of the cell content:
- In newborn children, the high rate of eosinophils may be caused by Rh-conflict, staphylococcus, hemolytic disease, dermatitis and allergic reactions to medications or food.
- At the age of one and a half to three years, high rates of eosinophils can be caused by atopic dermatitis, allergy to medicines and Quinck's edema.
- In children older than three years, eosinophils are elevated in the presence of bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis, during an exacerbation of skin allergies, chickenpox, scarlet fever and in case of helminthiasis. Also, the increase in eosinophils in a child can cause malignant tumors.
Elevated eosinophils in the blood are not an independent disease, all efforts should be directed to finding the main reason for their increase and, if possible, to eliminate it.
What should I do?
If a general blood test shows that eosinophils have increased, it is necessary to additionally pass a biochemical blood test, so you can find out about the disease that led to an increase. Be sure to pay attention to the protein level of enzymes that are located in the liver, etc. In addition, you need to pass an analysis of urine, feces to find out whether there are worms or their egg deposits.
Treat an eosinophilia hematologist, but remember, this is not an independent disease, but only one with the symptoms of some disease. It is necessary to determine the disease, because of which eosinophils increased, then an effective treatment regimen, the necessary medications and physiotherapeutic procedures will be prescribed.