What are Neutrophils in Bloodwork?
Neutrophils, are the most common type of white blood cell in the body. They play a vital role in helping our immune systems fight infection and heal injuries.
Your body constantly makes neutrophils, but levels can rise or fall in response to infection, illness, certain cancer treatments, bacterial infection or autoimmune disorders. While some fluctuation in neutrophil levels is normal, consistently low levels can put you at higher risk of infection and illness. In contrast, abnormally high neutrophil levels can indicate your body is fighting a severe infection.
Below, we explain what are neutrophils in bloodwork. We’ll share some of the most common causes and symptoms of high and low neutrophil levels and how Bluecrest Wellness can provide accurate neutrophil testing through our Blood Health Profile test.
What are neutrophils?
Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that act as your immune system’s first line of defence. White blood cells play a vital role in your immune response, helping to prevent viruses and bacteria from entering your body, as well as fighting infection and promoting healing in the event of an invasion.
Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell in your body, making up about 50-80% of all white blood cells. When foreign bodies enter the body, neutrophils are first on the scene. They get to work by capturing and destroying invading bacteria or microorganisms to prevent them from causing infection or illness.
Neutrophils form in bone marrow and travel through the body in blood, tissues, and lymph nodes, enabling them to respond quickly to the first signs of attack. As neutrophils live less than a day, bone marrow constantly forms new neutrophils to ensure levels remain within a healthy range of between 2,500 – 7,000 neutrophils per microlitre of blood. This enables your body to function normally, fight infection, and prevent illness.
Neutrophils are clear in colour and generally a spherical shape at rest. However, they can morph into different shapes in response to an invasion from a foreign body.
Causes of low neutrophil count
Low neutrophil levels are considered to be less than 2,500 per microlitre. Having a low neutrophil count is known as neutropenia. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of neutrophils in your blood. Neutropenia can be temporary or long-lasting, depending on the cause.
You can be born with neutropenia, which is known as congenital, or you can develop the condition over time, known as acquired neutropenia.
As neutrophils play a vital role in your immune response and help fight infection, neutropenia can increase your chances of developing an infection. In severe cases of neutropenia, even normal bacteria in your body can cause serious infections.
There are lots of conditions and even some medications that can cause neutropenia, including:
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Cancer and cancer treatments – as neutrophils are made in your bone marrow, any cancer that affects bone marrow, like leukaemia or lymphoma, can cause neutropenia. In addition, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation prevent your body from producing neutrophils, so neutropenia is an expected side effect of this cancer treatment and many people undergoing treatment are encouraged to take extra precautions to reduce their risk of infection.
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Infections – some types of infections can cause neutropenia, such as:
- Measles
- HIV
- Chickenpox
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Salmonella
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Sepsis – this is an extreme response your body can have to an infection and can also lead to neutropenia.
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Medicines – known as drug-induced neutropenia, certain medications can cause your neutrophil count to drop. This can include some antibiotics, antiviral medicines, anti-seizure medicines, antidepressants, anti-inflammatory medicines, antimalarial medicines, and medications to treat overactive thyroid or irregular heart rhythms. Once you stop taking the medicine causing the problem, neutropenia usually clears up within a week.
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Bone marrow disorders – any condition that affects bone marrow, such as aplastic anaemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and myelofibrosis can cause your levels to drop.
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Nutritional deficiencies – not getting enough copper, folate, or vitamin B12 in your diet can affect your neutrophil count.
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Autoimmune disorders —conditions like Crohn’s disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis cause antibodies to destroy healthy neutrophils.
Symptoms of low neutrophil levels
Low neutrophil levels do not usually cause symptoms, but the chances of you getting an infection are higher. If you get an infection because of a low neutrophil count, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Feeling tired or weak
- Sore throat
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Sores in your mouth
- Diarrhoea
- Pain, swelling, or redness at the site of a sore or wound
- Burning sensation when urinating
Causes of high neutrophil count
A high neutrophil count is anything above 7,000 cells per microlitre and is known as neutrophilia or neutrophilic leukocytosis if your neutrophil count is above 11,000 cells per microlitre. It can be caused by many conditions, including:
- Infection – the most common cause of a high neutrophil count is infection. Most bacterial infections cause a high neutrophil count, but not all do. Viral infections don’t normally cause neutrophilia, but can in the early stages of the infection, while some fungal and parasitic infections can cause neutrophilia.
- Inflammation – any condition that causes inflammation can increase your neutrophil count. This can include conditions like:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Tissue damage from burns, surgery, or trauma
- Loss of blood
- Sickle cell crisis
- Acute kidney failure
- Diabetic ketoacidosis – a serious complication of diabetes when acid builds up in your blood
- Cushing syndrome – a condition when your body has too much cortisol
- Preeclampsia and eclampsia – both complications of pregnancy that can cause organ damage
- Heart attack
- Acute hypoxia – this is a lack of oxygen
- Medicines – some medications can cause neutrophilia, like lithium, heparin, antiseizure drugs, corticosteroids, some antibiotics, and antipsychotic medications. Some cancers – Some forms of lymphoma, leukaemia, and certain tumours may lead to neutrophilia.
Symptoms of high neutrophil levels
Symptoms of neutrophilia depend on the underlying cause of the condition. If you have a neutrophil count due to inflammation, infection, medication side effects or cancer, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Fever of 38ºC or higher
- Repeated infections
- Wounds that don’t heal
- Swollen or aching joints
- Feeling tired or weak
- Dizziness or fainting
How are neutrophil imbalances treated?
The treatment for neutrophil imbalances depends on the cause of the abnormality. For example, people with neutropenia, a very low neutrophil count, may need to stop taking medications that are causing their levels to drop. Or if the root cause is due to an autoimmune disease, you may be advised to take corticosteroids to help prevent your body from attacking itself or have a white blood cell transfusion to boost your levels.
For people with high neutrophil levels, treatment may involve taking strong antibiotics or antibiotics administered intravenously to help the body fight severe infections.
How can you check your neutrophil levels?
It’s easy to check your neutrophil levels, as the neutrophil test is a standard part of our Blood Health Profile test. A Blood Health Profile test analyses different cells in your blood to provide information about your general health and help diagnose conditions like neutropenia.
A trained health assessment specialist will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm using a small needle. Once the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood is collected into a test tube, which is then sent to a lab for testing. Appointments can be booked at many locations across the UK at a time and date to suit you, making it a quick, easy, and convenient way to gain insights into your neutrophil levels.
At Bluecrest Wellness, a Blood Health Profile test is included as standard in many of our full-body health assessment packages to give you comprehensive insights into your general health. Our full body health checks also include key metrics like your blood pressure and weight, as well as your risk of some common medical conditions, like diabetes to give you a better picture of your general health.
With all our tests we use the latest technologies to provide an accurate comprehensive Results Report and offer free access to a 24/7 GP helpline for a year for complete peace of mind following your health assessment.
