Guide To The Causes Of Neutrophilia

Neutrophilia is a condition where there are too many neutrophils circulating in the blood. Between forty and sixty percent of all white blood cells in the body are neutrophils. These blood cells are the first to respond to foreign pathogens that invade the body. A healthy individual typically has between 2500 and 7500 neutrophils per microliter of blood. Neutrophilia has numerous causes that can be classified into three groups. Reactive neutrophilia is an active response to stress or infection. The proliferative group happens when some mechanism causes the bone marrow to overproduce neutrophils. Demargination occurs when specific neutrophils detach from the blood vessel lining and remain circulating in the blood.

Treatment for neutrophilia is available. However, the best options vary depending on the underlying cause. For instance, antibiotics for bacterial infections can be helpful. Medication for leukemia is an option, as is chemotherapy for leukemia. Arthritis treatment, such as medication for arthritis, is essential as well. Overall, patients who want the best neutrophilia treatment must understand the underlying causes first.

Arthritis

Individuals affected by arthritis may develop neutrophilia as a result. Neutrophils are the main type of white blood cell that contributes to the trigger and progression of arthritis. They play this role by releasing molecules that are toxic to other living cells in the body and molecules that mediate responses between macrophages and lymphocytes. Neutrophils in arthritis patients have different cellular properties than those in healthy individuals. Rheumatoid arthritis patients have neutrophils with delayed cellular death and a more sophisticated ability to generate reactive oxygen species, activate and deactivate certain genes, and expression of high-affinity FcY receptors on the cell membrane. These patients also have an immune system that exhibits a defect in their function of neutrophil clearance. 

In some autoimmune disorders, neutrophils may be the point of supply of the specific autoantigens or antibodies that propel the underlying mechanisms that result in the autoimmune disease. It is a combination of neutrophil apoptosis delay, clearance defects of neutrophils, and other abnormal properties of neutrophils that can cause an individual with arthritis to also be affected by neutrophilia.

Keep reading to learn more about the causes of neutrophilia now.