Lymphocytes are white blood cells of the immune system which can be further classified into various types that combat different types of infections. Sometimes even though you may feel perfectly normal, your blood differential tests may indicate a low lymphocyte count. There are many reasons for this condition. This article will tell you the reasons behind a decreased lymphocytes in a blood test. Before this, you need to know the importance of these lymphocytes.
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes are a class of white blood cells which are the first mode of combat in case of a viral or bacterial infection. They are further classified as Natural Killer (NK) cells, T cells and B cells. Of these, T cells are involved in something known as cell mediated immunity, B cells are involved in humoral immunity which is mainly immunity from antibodies. NK cells are part of innate immunity that defends the body against tumors and virus. All these lymphocytes are extremely important in fighting of bacterial and viral infections and therefore a decreased lymphocyte count indicates that a person is more susceptible to an infection. Decreased lymphocytes in blood causes a condition known as lymphocytopenia, which simply means a decreased lymphocytes count. The table below will tell you more about the types of lymphocytes and their function.
Decreased Lymphocytes Causes
The primary reason for decreased lymphocytes is viral infections, due to which there is a drop in the count of lymphocytes where the virus sometimes infects the lymphocytes as seen in an HIV infection. The HIV attacks the T cells of the lymphocytes due to which a blood differential will always show a low lymphocyte count.
Another reason for a low lymphocyte count may be a problem in the production of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are formed in the bone marrow thus if the bone marrow is not functioning properly the lymphocytes decrease. This happens in conditions such as aplastic anemia symptoms where the production of all three types of blood cells is drastically reduced.
Certain drugs used in chemotherapy or then radiation therapy leads to a temporary reduction in lymphocyte count. Thus people undergoing this treatment are more susceptible to infections. Other reasons for a lowered lymphocyte count may be diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Guillan Barre syndrome. Certain cancers and autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis are also a cause for this condition. Decreased lymphocytes in children is a cause of concern as these are the major cells of the body that fight against infections in children unlike adults, where the neutrophils also play an equally important role.
As mentioned earlier there are no particular symptoms for lymphocytopenia, it can be diagnosed by conducting a blood differential test that gives the count of all the blood cells. The treatment for the decreased lymphocytes is mentioned in the next section.
Treatment for Decreased Lymphocytes
The treatment of lymphocytopenia mainly depends upon the cause of the disease. If the cause for the condition is HIV/AIDS then the individual is treated with a combination of three antivirals of different classes. This increases the number of T cells in the blood. In other cases Gamma globulin treatment is given to individuals to prevent infections in people with a low B cell count. In case of an autoimmune disorder a bone marrow transplant is done. More often a repeated test is recommended by doctors after a gap of a week to see whether the count is normal before beginning any medication.
Thus decreased lymphocytes may be a manifestation of various diseases. Do not jump to a conclusion if you have a reduced count of lymphocytes or any other blood cells. Confirm your results with a doctor.
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes are a class of white blood cells which are the first mode of combat in case of a viral or bacterial infection. They are further classified as Natural Killer (NK) cells, T cells and B cells. Of these, T cells are involved in something known as cell mediated immunity, B cells are involved in humoral immunity which is mainly immunity from antibodies. NK cells are part of innate immunity that defends the body against tumors and virus. All these lymphocytes are extremely important in fighting of bacterial and viral infections and therefore a decreased lymphocyte count indicates that a person is more susceptible to an infection. Decreased lymphocytes in blood causes a condition known as lymphocytopenia, which simply means a decreased lymphocytes count. The table below will tell you more about the types of lymphocytes and their function.
| Class of Lymphocytes | Function |
|---|---|
| NK Cells | Lysis of tumor cells and virally infected ones |
| Electrical Conductivity | None |
| Helper T Cells | Release cytokines and growth factors to regulate the production of other immune cells |
| Cytotoxic T Cells | Lysis of tumor and virally infected cells and allografts |
| Gamma T Cells | Cytotoxicity |
| B Cells | Antibody Mediated immunity |
Decreased Lymphocytes Causes
The primary reason for decreased lymphocytes is viral infections, due to which there is a drop in the count of lymphocytes where the virus sometimes infects the lymphocytes as seen in an HIV infection. The HIV attacks the T cells of the lymphocytes due to which a blood differential will always show a low lymphocyte count.
Another reason for a low lymphocyte count may be a problem in the production of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are formed in the bone marrow thus if the bone marrow is not functioning properly the lymphocytes decrease. This happens in conditions such as aplastic anemia symptoms where the production of all three types of blood cells is drastically reduced.
Certain drugs used in chemotherapy or then radiation therapy leads to a temporary reduction in lymphocyte count. Thus people undergoing this treatment are more susceptible to infections. Other reasons for a lowered lymphocyte count may be diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Guillan Barre syndrome. Certain cancers and autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis are also a cause for this condition. Decreased lymphocytes in children is a cause of concern as these are the major cells of the body that fight against infections in children unlike adults, where the neutrophils also play an equally important role.
As mentioned earlier there are no particular symptoms for lymphocytopenia, it can be diagnosed by conducting a blood differential test that gives the count of all the blood cells. The treatment for the decreased lymphocytes is mentioned in the next section.
Treatment for Decreased Lymphocytes
The treatment of lymphocytopenia mainly depends upon the cause of the disease. If the cause for the condition is HIV/AIDS then the individual is treated with a combination of three antivirals of different classes. This increases the number of T cells in the blood. In other cases Gamma globulin treatment is given to individuals to prevent infections in people with a low B cell count. In case of an autoimmune disorder a bone marrow transplant is done. More often a repeated test is recommended by doctors after a gap of a week to see whether the count is normal before beginning any medication.
Thus decreased lymphocytes may be a manifestation of various diseases. Do not jump to a conclusion if you have a reduced count of lymphocytes or any other blood cells. Confirm your results with a doctor.