Neutrophils are a type of leukocyte and are therefore responsible for the body's defense and immunity. The neutrophil that is in the greatest amount circulating in the blood is called segmented neutrophil and is responsible for involving the diseased cells, a process known as phagocytosis, and eliminating them, in addition to acting to fight infections.
Neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow and are circulating in the blood in greater quantities in their mature form, which is called a segmented neutrophil. The normal reference value for segmented neutrophil circulating in the blood is 1600 to 8000 neutrophils segmented per mm³ of blood. Thus, when neutrophils are high it is usually indicative that the person has some bacterial or fungal infection, since this cell acts to protect the body.
In the blood test, in addition to indicating the number of segmented neutrophils, the amount of eosinophils, basophils and rod and stick neutrophils is also reported, which are neutrophils that have just been produced in order to fight infection and result in the formation of more segmented neutrophils.
Possible changes
The amount of neutrophils can be assessed by performing a complete blood count, in which the entire white blood series can be checked. Leukocytes are evaluated in a specific part of the blood count, the leukocyte which may indicate:
1. High neutrophils
The increase in the amount of neutrophils, also known as neutrophilia, can happen due to several situations, the main ones being:
- Infections; Inflammatory disorders; Diabetes; Uremia; Eclampsia in pregnancy; Liver necrosis; Chronic myeloid leukemia; Post-splenectomy polycythemia; Hemolytic anemia; Myeloproliferative syndromes; Hemorrhage; Burn; Electric shock; Cancer.
Neutrophilia can also happen due to physiological conditions, such as in newborns, during childbirth, after episodes of repeated vomiting, fear, stress, use of drugs with adrenaline, anxiety and after exaggerated physical activities.
Thus, if the value of neutrophils is high, the doctor may order other diagnostic tests to correctly identify the cause and initiate appropriate treatment.
2. Low neutrophils
The decrease in the amount of neutrophils, also called neutropenia, can happen due to:
- Aplastic, megaloblastic or iron deficiency anemia; Leukemia; Hypothyroidism; Medication use; Autoimmune diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Myelofibrosis; Cirrhosis.
In addition, there may be neonatal neutropenia in the case of severe infection by viruses or bacteria after birth. Children with Down syndrome also tend to have low neutrophils without any health problems.
In case of neutropenia, the doctor may recommend performing a myelogram to investigate the cause of the decrease in the amount of segmented neutrophils in the blood, in addition to checking if there is any change related to the production of neutrophil precursor cells in the bone marrow.
