Published: 03/30/2021 17:00:00 Updated: 03/30/2021
Erythrocytes are red blood cells, the most numerous blood cells. Formally, they are not cells, since during the process of maturation they lose many of the structures necessary for cells. For example, they lack nuclei and do not synthesize any protein molecules, unlike other cells in the body. So the name “cell” in this case is used for convenience. Red blood cells are formed in the bone marrow and constantly circulate in the body, performing the most important function of maintaining life - they carry oxygen from the lungs to tissues and organs and remove carbon dioxide.
In addition to red blood cells, blood contains plasma, platelets, and leukocytes. However, the number of red blood cells is so large that just a couple of drops of blood contains about one billion of these cells. They make up about 40% of the total blood volume. Actually, it is red blood cells that give our blood its characteristic red color due to its hemoglobin content.
Red blood cells do not last forever, they wear out over time and eventually die. The average life cycle of a red blood cell is approximately 120 days—a total of four months. However, do not worry, the bone marrow is constantly producing new cells and maintaining the required level of red blood cells. Various unfavorable circumstances can reduce or, conversely, increase their reproduction rate and affect their life expectancy - thus, the balance of blood composition is disrupted. An increase or decrease in red blood cells is associated with various pathological conditions. Let's consider this issue in more detail.
Red blood cells are normal
The normal limits vary depending on gender, age and other characteristics.
So, for an adult man it ranges from 4.0 to 5.1 × 10¹² units per liter of blood, and for women - 3.7 to 4.7 × 10¹² per liter.
In pregnant women, red blood cells may decrease to 3–3.5 x 10¹² per liter.
In children under one year of age, the concentration of red blood cells is constantly changing, so to assess the composition of their blood there is a special table that doctors use when interpreting tests.
In childhood, after one year there are still slight deviations from the “adult” norm, but by adolescence the level of red blood cells levels out.
Selected causes in children
All of the above factors can occur in younger patients just as in adults. But there are two separate causes, diagnosed mainly in children.
Genetic abnormalities
Which were mentioned above. They show up pretty quickly. Usually based on objective signs and symptoms. Blood only confirms suspicions, like other studies.
Pediatric diseases
Elevated red blood cells in a child’s blood can be a result of whooping cough, scarlet fever, or chickenpox. This doesn't play a big role.
As is already known, infectious diseases provoke a pathological process and an upward deviation in indicators.
Elevated red blood cells
Red blood cells can be elevated due to many reasons, ranging from banal dehydration to erythremia - chronic leukemia.
Therefore, if there are any deviations in test results, you should consult a specialist to determine the cause. An increase in the number of red blood cells is called erythrocytosis, which can be: 1. Primary. A rare hereditary disease characterized by loss of energy, dizziness and darker color of the mucous membranes. 2. Secondary. Caused by other diseases or conditions (for example, smoking or staying in high mountains) and is associated with oxygen starvation of cells.
Thus, the following reasons for the increase in red blood cells can be identified:
- Dehydration. When the volume of fluid in the body is reduced, the percentage of red blood cells (and other blood cells) artificially increases.
- A lack of oxygen, which the body tries to compensate by producing more red blood cells.
- Congenital heart defect. If the heart cannot pump blood effectively, the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues is reduced. The body creates more red blood cells to compensate for oxygen deprivation.
- Genetic causes (changes in sensitivity to oxygen, impaired release of oxygen by hemoglobin).
- Polycythemia vera is a rare disease in which the body produces too many red blood cells.
Increased production of red blood cells can cause blood to thicken, slow blood flow, and related problems (eg, headaches, dizziness, vision problems, excessive blood clotting).
Often, elevated red blood cell levels are due to dehydration, hot weather, extreme stress, or excessive exercise. A pathological increase in red blood cells is a fairly rare pathology. Much more often, patients encounter reduced levels.
Leukocytes
Leukocytes are a large group of diverse cells whose task is to provide protection to the body. In international medicine, they are often referred to as WBC - white blood cells. This abbreviation denotes the total content of leukocytes in the analyzer form. The reason for the increase in WBC is various damaging factors: infections, injuries, ischemia and tissue necrosis, and others. Simply put, an increase in the number of white blood cells means that the immune system is actively involved in the fight against damage. At the same time, low values of the indicator may indicate a lack of immunity under the influence of radiation, medications, certain viral infections, as well as diseases that are accompanied by impaired formation or increased destruction of leukocytes.
Leukocyte indices
In addition, in assessing the content of leukocytes, leukocyte indices , or in old forms - leukocyte formula . The general clinical analysis with the latter is called detailed. There are several types of leukocytes, which differ from each other in morphology and functional characteristics. The leukocyte formula reflects their percentage of the total number, and modern analyzers also display the absolute content of each type of these cells. They can be identified on the form by the following abbreviations:
- LYM - lymphocytes;
- MXD - agranulocytes (monocytes, basophils and eosinophils);
- NEUT—neutrophils;
- MON - monocytes;
- EO - eosinophils;
- BA - basophils.
If there is a “%” sign after the abbreviation, then we are talking about percentage, and the “#” sign means their absolute content. Changes in the leukocyte formula can serve as an indicator of a wide variety of problems in the body. Let's take a closer look at them.
The main task of neutrophils is phagocytosis - the absorption of foreign objects and their destruction. They always rush to areas of inflammation and tissue breakdown, where they perform this work, so their increased content indicates active inflammation.
In addition to neutrophils, the function of phagocytosis is performed by macrophages, into which, in the process of their development, monocytes . A high level of the latter also serves as a marker of inflammation, usually of an infectious nature.
Eosinophils take part in reactions associated with the allergic component. An increase in their number is observed in allergies, parasitic infestations, some infections and cancer.
Basophils take part in inflammation and allergies by releasing heparin, histamine and serotonin. They rarely increase in isolation, although such a phenomenon in some forms of leukemia has a serious prognostic significance.
Lymphocytes are actively involved in a wide variety of conditions, including immunodeficiencies, allergies, inflammation, and autoimmune disorders. Their high content may be a sign of childhood infections, viral hepatitis, mononucleosis, tuberculosis and a number of other diseases.
Assessment of leukocyte indices and leukocyte formula requires an understanding of the pathological and physiological processes in the body, and should not be carried out solely on the basis of tabular data. You absolutely cannot diagnose yourself based solely on the results of the analysis.
Decreased red blood cells
The main symptoms of low red blood cell count are:
- Weakness or fatigue.
- Lack of energy.
- Paleness of the skin.
Reduced red blood cells are a relatively common pathology.
A low number of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin is called anemia. If there are few red blood cells, there is correspondingly less hemoglobin in the bloodstream, which carries oxygen. Thus, the body experiences oxygen starvation, and we feel weakness, drowsiness, loss of vitality, and dizziness. Due to anemia, hair falls out, the skin becomes pale and dry. There are many forms of anemia, each with its own cause. Anemia can be temporary or acquired; depending on severity - from mild to severe. According to a 2015 publication in The Lancet, about one-third of the world's population is anemic.
The most common causes of low red blood cells are:
- Unbalanced diet with deficiency of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid.
- Damage to the bone marrow (toxins, radiation or chemotherapy, infection, certain medications).
- Any bone marrow disease.
- Chronic inflammatory processes.
- Bleeding in the digestive tract (for example, from ulcers, polyps, colon cancer).
- Heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Trauma with massive blood loss.
- Conditions that cause the destruction of red blood cells (for example, hemolytic anemia caused by autoimmune processes or defects in the red blood cells themselves).
- Kidney failure – serious kidney pathologies lead to a decrease in erythropoietin (or hematopoietin), a kidney hormone that promotes the production of red blood cells.
The risk of anemia is higher in the following groups:
- children aged from 6 months to 2 years;
- pregnant or recently given birth women;
- following a diet low in vitamins, minerals and iron, red meat;
- patients who regularly take medications that cause inflammation of the gastric mucosa (for example, ibuprofen);
- having a family history of hereditary anemia such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia;
- patients with an intestinal disorder that affects the absorption of nutrients (eg, Crohn's disease);
- have recently experienced major blood loss due to surgery or injury;
- people with chronic diseases (HIV, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, heart failure, liver disease).
Cases of complications
Sometimes not only red blood cells are found in the urine, but also other blood cells - leukocytes, as well as protein compounds. This is clearly a pathological condition, which indicates the development of pathogenic processes. As a rule, they are associated with the following reasons:
- hemorrhagic cystitis;
- urolithiasis;
- inflammation in the kidneys;
- tuberculosis;
- tumors of various nature in the urinary tract.
It is important to take action immediately and get tested. Otherwise, kidney pathology can become chronic, resulting in renal failure.
Deviation from the norm is not always a disease
If the level of red blood cells during the first analysis is slightly outside the normal range, do not panic.
Your doctor will help you interpret the results correctly, taking into account your individual characteristics and medical history. A single slightly elevated or slightly decreased result may have no medical significance. There are several factors that can cause a test result to fall outside the established reference range without pathological reasons:
- Under the influence of external factors (stress, previous infections, physical activity), the results of the analysis of the same person may differ slightly. In this case, a person can be healthy. If the analysis shows a slight deviation, retake the test on another day.
- Individual characteristics. For some people, the boundaries of the norm may differ slightly from generally accepted ones. Reference values are valid for the vast majority of people, but we are all different, and in some rare cases, a healthy person may have their own norms, slightly different from the usual values.
Only a doctor can accurately determine this after conducting additional research.
Selected reasons for women
Basically the same as in general. But there are some additional points. For example.
Menstrual cycle
A temporary and slight increase in the concentration of red blood cells is possible. Not necessarily, but it does happen. This cannot be called a pathological process. You don't need to do anything. Everything will return to normal on its own.
Pregnancy
The same applies to the gestational period. Especially often, an increase in the concentration of erythrocytes is observed at the initial stage and at the very end of the natural process. No special treatment is required.
Tests for red blood cells
A red blood cell count and cell count is usually done as part of a complete blood count (CBC).
A general blood test is the most common analysis, informative for almost any pathological process. This test can also be used to diagnose and/or monitor a number of diseases that affect the production or lifespan of red blood cells. You can take a general blood test with determination of 5 fractions of leukocytes at any CityLab medical center.
For an accurate diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe additional tests:
- Reticulocyte count - determines the number of immature red blood cells.
- Iron test - this trace element plays an important role in the production of red blood cells.
- Vitamin B12 and folic acid levels – these vitamins are also important for red blood cell production.
- A blood test for ferritin reflects iron reserves in the body.
- Serum iron, total iron-binding capacity of blood serum are additional parameters reflecting the process of iron metabolism in the body.
