The child has elevated basophils in the blood: what does this mean, the causes of the violation. Increased basophils in the blood of a child: causes and methods for lowering ESR and basophils increased in a child causes

If basophils are lowered, then the human body is experiencing the development of pathological processes. Measures must be taken to stabilize their levels.

Violation of the concentration of cells occurs as a result of pregnancy or ovulation. And also against the background of acute infectious diseases or after stressful situations. Reduced basophils in the blood of an adult are observed due to pathological processes in pneumonia or while taking certain hormonal drugs.

The main functions of basophils

Cells are born in the bone marrow, along with neutrophils and eosinophils. They play an important role in the human body. After the bone marrow, the cells, along with the bloodstream, move through the circulatory system, performing their direct duties. Low basophils indicate that there are serious disorders in human health.

Among the main properties and functions of white blood cells:

  • responsible for blood circulation in thin capillaries;
  • strengthening immunity;
  • protection of the body from the spread of allergens through it;
  • maintaining the process of blood clotting;
  • the ability to increase vascular permeability;
  • contraction of certain muscles.

Attention! In infants, the level of these blood cells after birth is increased. Its norm is reached within 1 year.

In addition, basophils support the flow of blood to certain vessels. Thanks to them, new capillaries appear. Blood clotting is ensured by the fact that these white blood cells contain the necessary substance - heparin. But their main function is to protect the body from allergens.

If the child has low basophils, the pediatrician prescribes additional examinations to determine the pathological processes and prescribe an effective treatment for the detected disease.

What is the norm of basophils?

To determine the concentration of white blood cells, the patient is prescribed a general analysis. Their number is determined by the percentage with leukocytes.

Doctors distinguish the absolute content of cells and the relative concentration. In the first case, all parameters are the same, regardless of age and gender. The relative content of basophils is determined by the age of the patient.

Parameters may deviate from standard norms - decrease or increase. Only a doctor can tell what it means.

To understand the true causes of violations, it is necessary to consult with a specialist. He will order additional tests. And if it turns out that pathological processes develop in the body of a child or an adult, appropriate treatment will be prescribed.

If the concentration of basophils is disturbed, the cause of this phenomenon should be found. A qualified doctor can conduct an examination and make an accurate diagnosis. After determining the disease, he will prescribe an effective treatment with special drugs. After recovery, the cell level stabilizes.

Reduced rates

Medicine such disorders of the body, in which basophils are below normal, calls "basopenia". This pathology is difficult to identify due to the fact that it rarely manifests itself. But experts pay attention to the low content of white cells in the blood of a child or an adult. This problem indicates a developing disease without pronounced signs.

Most often, low basophils are observed during pregnancy, as well as if the patient has undergone chemotherapy. There are other disorders that are accompanied by a decrease in the number of white cells:

  • the presence of hyperthyroidism;
  • progressive diseases of infectious origin;
  • inflammatory process affecting the lungs;
  • increased work of the thyroid gland;
  • Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome.

A reduced content of basophils occurs after taking certain drugs from the category of corticosteroids. It also happens after a long stressful state. In children, a decrease in the level of cells occurs against the background of endocrine diseases or pathological processes that develop in the bone marrow.

Violations can occur at any age in a child or adult. Therefore, experts recommend undergoing a comprehensive examination. Various factors can affect the test results. It is necessary to consult a doctor before the tests. If the patient is taking certain medications, the doctor should be warned.

If the reasons for the low level of basophils are identified in time, it will be possible to prevent the development of serious diseases. The doctor will prescribe an effective treatment, and the rate of white cells will stabilize.

The level of basophils during pregnancy

During the first trimester, a pregnant woman's blood test may show low levels of white cells. This occurs against the background of an increase in blood volume, as a rule, its liquid part.

The number of cells remains unchanged in the body of a pregnant woman. The concentration of basophils in the blood decreases, which were taken for analysis. This is quite normal.

Basophils are not the most important group of blood cells, but they perform essential functions in the human body. Therefore, even the slightest changes in their concentration may indicate the development of the disease..

The level of low basophils in an adult or a child is not an accurate diagnostic indicator. Changes can occur due to the influence of numerous factors, for example, against the background of various diseases or physiological characteristics. Experts recommend contacting a qualified doctor if cell levels do not meet the standard norm, especially in a child.

Basophils are small cells from the group of leukocytes, the main role of which is to protect the body. They release specific substances into the blood, which, when they enter the inflamed area, give signals to other participants in the immune response of our defense system - lymphocytes, monocytes, antibodies.

If these cells are elevated in a child, this indicates that a disease begins to develop in the body. In order to better understand how these cells work, let's find out what they are, where they come from, and what norms are typical for childhood.

There are fewer basophils than other cells of the immune system, but they are everywhere - in the skin, connective tissue, serous membranes. If necessary, their level in the body can increase. Basophilic cells or white bodies () are formed in the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream already fully matured.

They are divided into two types: agranulocytes and granulocytes - cells that are granules that contain serotonin, prostaglandin, histamine and heparin.

Basophils live very little, once in the bloodstream for a short period of time, they almost immediately penetrate the tissues and settle there for 10–14 days. Often you can find another name - histiocytes or "mast cells". These cells themselves do not fight the threat, they only attract attention and give rise to further diagnostics.

Schematically, the mechanism of action of these cells can be explained as follows:

  1. A foreign agent enters the child's body.
  2. Receptors signal this to basophils and histiocytes.
  3. Blood cells are activated and begin to secrete the contents of their granules at the site of infection.
  4. Vessels and capillaries at the site of inflammation expand. The permeability of the walls increases and blood flow increases
  5. Fluid accumulates in the tissues around the site of infection.
  6. The remaining cells of the immune system are sent to the site of inflammation.

The main function of basophils is protective or signaling. Also they:

  • nourish cells and support the vital activity of tissues;
  • participate in tissue repair;
  • normalize trophic processes;
  • create new capillaries - small blood vessels;
  • improve blood flow in the stream;
  • protect the gastrointestinal tract;
  • participate in blood clotting;
  • support immunity;
  • absorb toxins, harmful microorganisms and foreign substances;
  • take part in phagocytosis;
  • participate in maintaining the colloidal water balance in the body.

Both in a child and in an adult, basophils perform the same functions.

Norms in children

In the blood of a child, the level of basophils is determined by a leukogram or leukocyte formula. Unlike other blood indicators, the number of basophilic cells in children is almost the same as in a newborn and in a teenager. Very slight differences will be observed as the child grows up.

The table shows the percentage of specific gravity:

It can be seen that the fluctuations are quite small, everything is in the range from 0.5 to unity. Research shows that minor deviations are also the norm. Moreover, in children, the level of basophils can fluctuate throughout the day for various reasons:

  • change in diet, transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding, introduction;
  • emotional states, the baby is naughty or crying.

An elevated level is sometimes called basophilia.

If the number of these cells is small, they speak of basopenia or basophilocytopenia. Usually these diagnoses are not used in medical practice. Many pediatricians believe that a decrease in basophils in the blood is not a deviation at all, but we will talk about this later. Their increase in a child will reveal a general blood test.

elevated

The main reasons for the increase:

The reasons for the increase in basophils in a child are temporary or appear periodically, for example, in warm weather, the number of midges increases and children constantly suffer from allergic reactions to bites.

There are more serious diseases in which the number of leukocytes increases:

  • sugar;
  • chronic;
  • viral diseases -,;
  • gastrointestinal diseases - ulcer;
  • diseases of the urinary system -;
  • hematological diseases - erythremia;
  • viral hepatitis;
  • initial stage ;
  • thyroid diseases -;
  • oncological and neoplastic processes.

If the child is treated with hormonal drugs, then the level of basophils will also be increased. In addition, leukocytes in the blood will increase during the operation. Radiation, even minor exposures such as X-rays, will definitely increase white cells.

lowered

Doctors consider a slight decrease in basophils in the blood of a child to be the norm - this is not a diagnostic criterion and can be observed, for example, during stress. Even taking a general blood test can become stressful.

A decrease in the level of these cells in the analyzes can also be seen at the end of an acute infectious disease, especially when a small patient goes to recovery. After chemotherapy and with endocrine pathologies, the number of leukocytes will decrease, but this will not be the only indicator that will deviate from the norm.

The most common causes of basophilia are:

  • thyroid disease - hyperthyroidism;
  • large doses of hormonal drugs;
  • malfunction of the adrenal glands;
  • frequent allergic reactions,;
  • constant stress and hospitalization.

It is worth worrying only when, according to the result of a blood test, there is a complete absence of basophils. This may already indicate a violation in the work of the bone marrow or endocrine abnormalities, or oncology.

What to do

Do not panic if you see that the results of the tests did not fit into the norm. Repeat the blood test again, as laboratories can also make mistakes. If the second result shows all the same numbers and basophils are elevated in a child, you should contact a specialist.

The doctor will assess the general condition of the baby, your complaints, compare all the tests and look for the cause of the increase in basophils - primarily inflammation or allergies. The doctor will prescribe the necessary drugs and will monitor the dynamics of changes in the blood test.

During treatment, no tests need to be taken often, since the basophil cell matures and develops from 36 to 120 hours. The level of basophils will not change the next day.

Pay attention to the medications that the baby takes, read the side effects - they can also affect the increase or decrease in basophils. If basophils are elevated due to medication, then withdrawal will also equalize their number. Also, eliminate foods that make your child pee and cause white blood cells to drop.

Many vitamins are found in soy milk. Also contribute to the normalization of the level of white blood cells will be foods containing iron: offal, liver and meat. Often basophilia and basopenia are not the result of any disease, and improving nutrition will bring their levels back to normal.

Pay attention to the emotional state of the child. Frequent stress, anxiety and worries will affect the leukogram. A calm home environment, silence, lack of stress, a positive attitude and goodwill of kindergarten teachers or teachers at school stabilizes the child's blood counts.

The presence of almost any disease or a scheduled examination involves the delivery of a general clinical extended blood test, due to which its composition is determined, that is, the level of hemoglobin, leukocytes, neutrophils, and erythrocytes. The presence of a large number of private laboratories, the delivery of an analysis and the receipt of a result is possible at almost any time, but sometimes its decoding is a problem. Therefore, parents should know for themselves what the change in any indicators indicates.

Basophilic leukocytes are one of the elements that make up the leukocyte formula of human blood, it is represented by the percentage of white blood cells, which are called leukocytes. Leukocytes are divided into two types: granulocytes and agranulocytes. Cells that have granularity on their surface are granulocytes. They are represented by stab and segmented leukocytes, as well as eosinophils and basophils. In a child, basophils perform the same functions in the body as in an adult.

Basophils in children are present in a small amount - about one percent of the total number of leukocytes. However, they play a big role in the implementation of the most important reactions that occur in the human body. Their name is explained by the fact that they absorb the base dye during the staining of a blood smear by the Romanovsky method. No more than two hours these cells are in the blood. Subsequently, they end up in tissues, where they are called histiocytes or mast cells.

Basophils in children: the norm

Their life time is actually very short, but despite this, the most important processes cannot take place without their participation. depends on the state of the human body, and also on the presence of pathologies in it. By origin, basophils refer to cells that have emerged from a bone marrow pluripotent stem cell. This is a minor population compared to other leukocytes found in peripheral blood. When comparing the number of basophils in the bone marrow with the presence of neutrophils and eosinophils there, it immediately becomes clear that the number of basophils is minimal.

The implementation of these processes implies the presence of chemicals that have managed to accumulate on the surface of basophils in grains. The composition of the granularity is a chemical compound in the form of prostaglandins, heparin, leukotriene, serotonin, histamine.

In the event that the body of a small child is exposed to adverse factors, such as allergens, poisons, worms, infections, radiation, chemically active substances are released by basophils, they perform their function, signaling an impending danger to the body. By doing so, they call on other types of leukocytes to help.

Basophils in children: when are they elevated, and what are the reasons?

Consider a situation where basophils are elevated in a child. The number of basophils should not exceed 0.2 per 10 to the ninth degree per liter of blood, otherwise this is already a pathology called basophilia. There are various reasons why basophils may be elevated in a child.

If the child suffers from a disease such as:

  • myeloid leukemia;
  • infectious diseases in the form of chickenpox and smallpox;
  • helminthic invasion;
  • allergic diseases;
  • diseases of the blood system;
  • inflammatory processes;

He may show an elevated level of basophils. This can also happen under the influence of low doses of radiation and in the case of a decrease in thyroid function. That is why it is important to examine the child as often as possible.

How to reduce the level of basophils?

As you know, the number of basophils can also increase in the presence of inflammatory and acute infectious processes, increased thyroid function, stress, if a person takes corticosteroids, or suffers from Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome. Basophils are among the few blood cells that can respond to the appearance of any inflammation, as well as contain foreign poisons and the spread of toxins throughout the body. They carry out the protective function of the body.

Basophil levels change with age in children. If, after receiving the results of a blood test, an increased level of basophils is determined, one should not delay contacting a doctor, with a personal examination or with the help of diagnostic studies and additional tests, he will determine the disease.

It is important! A decrease in the level of basophils is possible only with the timely treatment of the underlying disease, which caused their increase, while it is necessary to introduce foods containing vitamin B12 into the child's diet.

This vitamin is abundant in dairy products, eggs, and kidneys. Since eosinophils and basophils have the same origin, and they all develop from the same type of stem cell, the first and second are granulocytic-monocytic. During development, the basophil must go through several stages, and at the same time it is able to actively divide. At the first stage of cell development, granules of metachromatic color already appear, which means that the cell is differentiating towards a basophil.

This cell can develop from 36 to 120 hours. Estrogens, which are female genital organs, have the ability to activate the formation of new basophils, it is for this reason that women are most susceptible to an increase in basophils in the blood. Progesterone and glucocorticosteroids can effectively reduce basophils.

The number of basophils in a leukocytogram shows the immune state of the body and signals the manifestations of allergic reactions or problems with hematopoiesis. Therefore, in the event that basophils are lowered, it is important to identify the cause in a timely manner and take appropriate measures to eliminate the pathology.

Role

Basophils is a type of white blood cells that belongs to the class of granulocytes and performs a protective function of the body, and also participates in the hemostasis system. These cells are formed in the bone marrow and from there enter the blood stream. Then, over the course of several hours, they move into tissues, where they live for about 8-10 days.

The main component of the basophilic granules of the cytoplasm (basophils) is histamine. It contributes to the contraction of smooth muscles and increases the permeability of the walls of blood vessels, which causes the formation of tissue edema, a decrease in blood pressure, and also increases blood viscosity.

Another component of granulocytes, heparin, has heparin antagonistic properties.

On the cell surface of the basophilic granulocyte there are antibodies E, which, upon contact with the allergen, bind it. In this case, the destruction of the granules and the release of active substances, which causes allergic reactions: rash, swelling, suffocation.

Basophils in the blood are determined using laboratory analysis as an absolute or relative indicator.

The absolute number does not depend on the sex or age of the person and is in the range of 0.01-0.065 times 10 to the ninth power of g / l.

The relative number depends on age and is expressed as the following ratio to the total number of white blood cells:

  • for a newborn baby 0.75%,
  • in a child up to 1 month 0.5%,
  • in a one-year-old baby 0.6%,
  • children under 2 years old 0.7-0.9%,
  • in adults, 0.5-1%.

The presence or absence of basophils in the blood will tell the doctor about the inflammatory processes occurring in the body or allergic reactions.

Despite the fact that this indicator does not have an independent diagnostic value, with a comprehensive assessment of various pathological conditions, the doctor should see the leukocytogram data. Conditions in which basophils are reduced or absent altogether can be caused by physiological changes in the body or be the cause of various diseases. It is not recommended to ignore the results of the analysis. Usually in such cases, the doctor prescribes an additional examination or refers the patient for consultation to narrow specialists.

As practice shows, in about 95% of cases of deviations in the number of basophils from the norm, the cause is the presence of worms in the human body.

Basopenia

A condition in which there is a decrease in the number of basophils below normal is called basopenia. It can be observed in the following situations:

  • during infectious diseases,
  • with prolonged and frequent stressful conditions,
  • with pronounced allergic reactions,
  • in case of dysfunction of the adrenal cortex, the presence of Cushing's syndrome,
  • with hyperthyroidism - an overactive thyroid gland,
  • with acute pneumonia
  • after chemotherapy,
  • against the background of taking corticosteroid or certain hormonal drugs, for example, progesterone, prednisolone.

A low number of basophils in children can sometimes indicate malfunctions in the endocrine system or impaired bone marrow function.

Pregnancy

Basophils may be low or absent in women in the early trimester of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that at this time an additional circle of blood circulation is formed and the volume of the liquid part of the blood increases significantly, while the number of formed elements in it remains unchanged.

As a result, the concentration of basophils in the selected blood sample decreases sharply.

Such results are considered false, and a decrease in the relative number of basophils during pregnancy is the norm.

Basophilia

The condition in which the number of basophils in the blood exceeds the accepted norms is called basophilia.

An increased content of these cells may be caused by physiological causes, for example, the period of ovulation or menstruation in women, but may also indicate the presence of hidden pathologies:

  • lung or bronchial cancer,
  • diabetes,
  • acute hepatitis,
  • gastrointestinal disorders: ulcers, gastritis, colitis and so on,
  • severe intoxication of the body,
  • chickenpox or other acute viral infections,
  • blood diseases.

In order to lower the level of basophils, the doctor must conduct a thorough examination of the patient and identify the cause of their deviation from the norm.

After proper treatment of the underlying disease, the level of these cells should eventually return to normal.

If the cause of the increased number of granulocytes was the intake of hormonal drugs, then the doctor will replace them with analogues that do not cause side effects or adjust the dosage. To correct the leukocytogram, a special diet, vitamin complexes, or hormone therapy can be prescribed.

Despite the fact that only on the basis of the deviation of basophils from the norm it is impossible to diagnose a particular pathology, it is still not worth ignoring the change in their number. Since these cells perform important functions in the human body, their level should be monitored, as this will help to detect hidden diseases in a timely manner and prescribe effective treatment.

In contact with

When a child feels unwell, it is necessary to promptly prevent the negative consequences and development of the disease. You need to seek the advice of a doctor and, first of all, examine the composition of the blood.
The results of the analysis will tell you what to pay attention to in the first place. They will record data on the content of important elements of the life-giving fluid, including basophils.

This component of the blood is the smallest group of leukocytes. Basophils are a granulocytic subspecies of white blood cells. Their birth and subsequent maturation takes place in the bone marrow. Basophils are entrusted with the mission of neutralizing pathogens that penetrate the human body and are extremely undesirable for it.

Functions of basophils

The primary role of basophils is to muffle the action of allergens that have entered the child's body and prevent them from moving through the tissues. Cells are filled with granules of serotonin, heparin and histamine. When basophils come into contact with pathogenic irritants, their contents are brought out, that is, the process of degranulation occurs. This is what helps in binding allergens and forms an inflammatory focus.
Basophils perform the following tasks:

  • Helps maintain normal blood flow.
  • They help in the formation of new capillaries - small blood vessels.
  • Other components of leukocytes are mobilized for penetration into the inflammatory focus.
  • Protects the digestive tract.
  • They normalize trophic processes that provide cellular nutrition and vital activity of tissues.
  • Activate the inflammatory process.

Basophils are endowed with insignificant phagocytic activity - the ability to absorb harmful particles and microorganisms. But this is a secondary function for this type of cell. It is successfully performed by other subgroups of leukocytes.

The norm of basophils in children

As a rule, the normative level of basophils is fixed as a percentage of the total number of leukocytes.

Cells are also measured in absolute units. Their number is constant throughout life, starting from childhood. The norm of basophils is as follows (? 10 9 g / l):

  • from - 0.01;
  • up to - 0.09.

But the specific gravity of cells varies, because it depends on age.

The data in the table show that in a baby who has just been born, the proportion of basophils approaches one percent. Closer to the year, the level of cells decreases, and then increases again. With the onset of sexual development and in subsequent periods, the optimal content of basophils is the same as in adults: no more than one percent.

The proportion of all types of leukocytes in infants can fluctuate markedly even within one day. This is the body's reaction to the behavior of the baby, who often cries and shows anxiety. In addition, the following factors also influence:

  • the introduction of complementary foods;
  • transfer to artificial feeding;
  • temperature changes;
  • diseases.

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Therefore, in order to obtain accurate information about the content of basophils in children's blood, the results are evaluated according to absolute data.

Deviation of basophils from the norm: causes

The discrepancy between the number of basophils in the blood in children can signal developing pathologies. The content of cells can increase too much (basophilia) or decrease (basopenia).

Basophils are elevated. Why?

A variety of conditions can affect the excess growth of basophils in babies:

  • reaction to an insect bite;
  • taking any medication;
  • the presence of a protracted inflammatory process.

The most likely causes of basophilia are:

Basophilia can appear when a child has an iron deficiency and develops anemia.

Neoplasms in the lungs are also accompanied by an excess of cell levels.

It is positive that basophilia in babies is an infrequent phenomenon.

Reducing the level of basophils

Although the optimal level of basophils is scanty, in some cases it becomes even smaller. Often, basophils are completely absent in the blood. This condition may accompany such diseases:

  • acute infectious (recovery period);
  • pneumonia;
  • Itsenko-Cushing's disease.

Basophils are able to leave the bloodstream during chemotherapy, or during treatment with medications that are difficult and difficult for the child's body.

A stressful situation, emotional outbursts will cause basophilia. These are not isolated childhood realities.

A change in the level of basophils can signal functional failures in the bone marrow and diseases of the endocrine system. Therefore, any deviation in the composition of the baby's blood should alert parents. It does not hurt to conduct additional tests to identify the specific causes of the slightest inconsistencies with the norm.

How to return basophils back to normal

Only by identifying the causes of deviations of basophils from the optimal level, it is possible to influence their normalization. Timely therapy of the underlying disease stabilizes the composition of the blood.
For the prevention of basophilia and basopenia, it is necessary:

  • fill the baby's diet with foods containing:
    • vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, lean meats. A lot of vitamin in soy milk;
    • iron: liver, fish, red meat, greens;
  • protect the child from strong feelings.

If the reason for the deviations lies in the intake of certain medications, then their cancellation normalizes the situation.

Constant monitoring of the level of basophils will help prevent many diseases. Timely prescribed therapy will ensure a quick recovery for the baby.