What do atypical lymphocytes indicate?

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell (leukocyte) involved in the immune response. Atypical lymphocytes are generally lymphocytes that have been activated to respond to a viral infection or sometimes a bacterial or parasitic infection.

Can stress cause atypical lymphocytes?

– Parasitic diseases (babesiosis usually causes atypical lymphocytes with normal WBC count, toxoplasmosis can cause atypical lymphocytes with elevated lymphocyte count). – Stress-induced lymphocytosis (seen in trauma, where it may confer a poor prognosis, also seen after seizure, cardiac emergencies, sickle crisis).

What is the most common cause of lymphocytosis?

Reactive lymphocytosis is most commonly related to viral infections, particularly infectious mononucleosis and viral hepatitis, and it may also be seen with bacterial infections. The reactive cells are usually CD8+ T cells and are large with abundant cytoplasm.

What can cause atypical lymphocytes?

Atypical lymphocytosis is most commonly attributed to viral and bacterial illnesses. It can also be a result of some types of autoimmune disorders. Immunizations, drug reactions, and radiation or chemotherapy treatments can also cause elevated lymphocytes to become atypical.

What is the lifespan of a lymphocyte?

Some lymphocytes migrate to the thymus, where they mature into T cells; others remain in the bone marrow, where—in humans—they develop into B cells. Most lymphocytes are short-lived, with an average life span of a week to a few months, but a few live for years, providing a pool of long-lived T and B cells.

What causes elevated lymph count?

Common reasons for a high lymphocyte count include infections, autoimmune conditions that trigger persistent swelling and cancer of the lymphatic system or blood. Some certain illnesses include whooping cough, vasculitis, tuberculosis, viral infections, several myeloma, mononucleosis, HIV/AIDS,…

What causes high lymphocyte levels?

Causes of high lymphocyte counts. Common reasons for a high count of lymphocytes include infections, autoimmune disorders that cause chronic inflammation, and cancer of the lymphatic system or blood.