Lymphocytes: Types, Ranges, Levels and Function

 

A type of white blood cell is a lymphocyte. They support the body's immune system in fighting cancer and pathogens from outside sources. A routine blood test at your doctor's office can determine your lymphocyte count. Your age, race, sex, altitude, and lifestyle all affect your lymphocyte counts.

Lymphocytes aid the body in the fight against diseases and infections. 

As part of a full blood count, medical professionals will assess a patient's lymphocyte count.

This page examines the many types of lymphocytes, their normal blood levels, and the consequences of very high or low numbers.

Also Read: Blood Cell, Types and Functions

What are Lymphocytes?

A type of white blood cell is a lymphocyte. They are crucial to the function of your immune system, which aids in the body's defense against disease and infection. An extensive network of lymph nodes, lymph tissue, immune cells, and lymphatic organs make up your immune system. One class of immunological cells is lymphocytes. T cells come in two primary varieties:

T lymphocytes, or T cells: are responsible for regulating the immune system's reaction and for attacking and eliminating cancerous and infected cells directly.

B cells, or B lymphocytes: The production of antibodies by B cells. Proteins called antibodies fight bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders.

Types:

T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells are the three main types of lymphocytes. The big nucleus of lymphocytes is a distinguishing feature.

B-cells:

Producing antibodies—proteins the immune system produces that fight foreign substances known as antigens—is the responsibility of B cells.

T cells:

T cells help in the body's fight against cancer and control the immune system's reaction to foreign invaders. They accomplish this by eliminating bodily cells that have been infected by viruses or developed cancer.

NK cells:

The natural killer, or NK, cell is another type of lymphocyte that comes from the same place as B and T cells. NK cells have a high rate of response to a variety of foreign substances and are specifically trained to kill virus- and cancer-infected cells.

What do Lymphocytes Function?

Your body's immune system uses lymphocytes to combat cancer and foreign bacteria and viruses, or "antigens." Your immune system needs lymphocytes to help it remember every antigen it encounters. Certain lymphocytes develop into memory cells following an encounter. Memory cells can identify and react rapidly when they come into contact with an antigen again. You don't contract illnesses like chickenpox or measles more than once because of this. It's also the reason vaccinations can ward against certain diseases.

How do B and T cells Work?

The B and T cells in your body cooperate. Each of them plays a different roles in your immune system.

Your T cells control your body's immune response to foreign substances and assist in the death of infected cells. To get activated, the majority of your T cells require assistance from another immune cell. Your T cells proliferate and differentiate into several T cell types after they are activated. Among these types are:

Cytotoxic T-cells, often known as killer T cells, cling to antigens on diseased or abnormal cells. After that, they puncture the membranes of the infected cells and introduce enzymes to kill the cells.

Helper T cell: Your other immune cells benefit from the assistance of helper T cells. Certain helper T cells assist B cells in producing antibodies to fight foreign invaders. Others assist in cytotoxic T cell activation.

Regulatory T cells, also known as suppressor T cells, produce chemicals that aid in putting an end to your immune system's reaction to an attack. They can occasionally stop negative reactions from happening.

The surfaces of B lymphocytes have receptors where antigens can attach. Acquiring the ability to identify distinct antigens, B cells generate tailored antibodies to target each one. Antigens elicit two responses from B cells:

Primary immune response: Antigens bind to receptors, stimulating your B cells. Memory cells can develop from some B cells. Some B cells differentiate into plasma cells. The specific antigen that stimulated the production of the antibody is made by plasma cells. It may take many days to produce enough of that particular antibody.

Secondary immune response: Your B cells' memory cells retain the antigen information and multiply if they come into contact with it again. They rapidly transform into plasma cells and generate the appropriate antibodies.

What is the Location of Lymphocytes?

Your bone marrow is where lymphocytes grow. After that, they develop and exit your bloodstream. Your blood and the entire lymphatic system include mature lymphocytes. Certain lymphocytes make their way to the thymus gland. These cells develop into T cells. Your organs and lymph nodes are visited by more lymphocytes. These cells develop into B cells.

What do Lymphocytes Look Like?

Even while lymphocytes are larger than red blood cells, they are still microscopic. At the core of every little lymphocyte is a large nucleus. The core is a deep purple color. The surrounding cytoplasm, which like jelly, has a purplish color.

What is the Lymphocyte's Normal Range?

Different factors such as age, race, sex, altitude, and lifestyle affect lymphocyte counts.

Adults typically have 1,000–4,800 lymphocytes per microliter of blood, depending on their age. Within the usual range, there should be between 3,000 and 9,500 lymphocytes per microliter of blood in youngsters. Lymphocytes make up 20% to 40% of your white blood cells.

What does a High-Level Lymphocyte Mean?

Lymphocytosis refers to an excess of lymphocytes in the blood. The most common cause of lymphocytosis is an infection or disease. Your body occasionally creates more lymphocytes to aid in the defense against diseases and infections. However, a higher-risk illness such as the following can also result in a high lymphocyte count:

• Hepatitis.
• Syphilis.
• Mononucleosis.
• TB.
• HIV and AIDS.
• Thyroid underactivity, or hypothyroidism.
• Infections such as cytomegalovirus, whooping cough, or toxoplasmosis.
• Blood cancer, like leukemia or lymphoma.

What does a Low Level of Lymphocyte Mean?

Lymphocytopenia, also known as lymphopenia, is the low concentration of lymphocytes in the blood. Although lymphocytopenia can be brought on by the flu or other minor diseases, it can also result from serious diseases such as the following:

• AIDS or HIV.
• Tuberculosis or typhoid fever.
• Hepatitis virus.
• Blood diseases like Hodgkin's disease
• Autoimmune diseases like lupus.

Rare hereditary diseases include Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia, and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Which Tests are Typically Performed to my Lymphocytes Health?

You may find out how many lymphocytes are in your blood by a few different blood tests. These examinations consist of: White blood cell counts can be determined by a number of different blood tests.

Complete blood count (CBC):  A CBC is a blood test that measures different blood constituents. It measures:

• Red blood cells 
• White blood cells
• Platelets, the cells that aid in blood coagulation
• Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in your blood, 
• The ratio of red blood cells to plasma, or the fluid component of blood, is known as hematocrit.

Flow cytometry: This test involves processing your blood in a specialized laboratory. Your blood is suspended in a solution and passed through a laser device known as a flow cytometer by a professional. Your blood cells are scattered into patterns by the laser's light, which makes it simple to identify and count the different cell types.

What are the Common Symptoms of  Lymphocyte Conditions?

Usually, lymphocytosis and lymphocytopenia don't show any symptoms on their own. That being said, you might have signs of the disease if a cancerous tumor or blood issue results in an elevated lymphocyte count. Swollen lymph nodes.

• Sweats night.
• Fever.
• Pain in the stomach.
• Loss of appetite.
• Shortness of breath.