The Connection Between White Blood Cells And Blood Disorders

To understand the connection between white blood cells (WBCs) and blood disorders it is important to understand how white blood cells fit into the role of blood. Our blood is liquid, made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma or serum. Another name for white blood cells is “leukocytes. These leukocytes are suspended in the plasma. The white blood cells are a main part of the body’s immune system. They are like the front line in the attack strategy of the immune system against infection, and illness. White blood cells defend the body against any infectious organisms or foreign substances that may enter the body.

When a person has an autoimmune disease, the WBCs mistake the proteins of the body for a foreign material and attack these proteins as if they were a foreign substance. Inside our bone marrow, a hematopoietic stem cell makes white blood cells. Then the white blood cell divides and forms more white blood cells or more stem cells.

If there is an infection or foreign body in the system, than there will be an increase in WBCs that will show up on a complete blood test. A low white blood cell count occurs when there is a viral infection, a toxic reaction, or the result of certain medications, such as immunosuppressive or chemotherapeutic medications. If a person has leukopenia, the individual is unable to fight off infection. Doctors monitor the level of WBCs as a way to determine how well the body is able to fight off infection or how well the body is responding to treatment for an infection.

During a blood test the WBC count is the number of white blood cells per volume of blood. This count is reported in either thousands in a microliter or millions in a liter of blood. If a person’s blood test reveals a high WBC count that can indicate an infection, inflammation, or possible allergy. If a doctor uses the term, leukocytosis, that means there is an elevated WBC over the normal level of WBCs. If the doctor uses the term, leukopenia, that means there is a decreased WBC count over the normal amount. Leukocytosis may result when there is a bacterial infection, when inflammation is present in the body, when a blood disorder, leukemia is present, blood trauma, or stress on the body is present. Leukopenia is the result of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a immune system disorder.

The doctor will compare the normal white blood count values to those of the patient’s in order to determine if there is a blood disorder or disease or if the WBC count is within normal range.

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