A child has elevated monocytes in the blood.
Monocytes are called one of the types of blood cells, which refers to the white blood cells. Their presence in the baby’s blood is important to protect the child’s body from tumor cells, germs and parasites, as well as to remove dead tissue. Because monocytes renew and purify the blood, such leukocytes are even called “body wipers”. Why, in the analysis of the child, can there be an increased number of such cells and what should parents do if the son or daughter has monocytes increased?
How to determine the level of monocytes
You can find out how much monocytes are contained in a child’s blood from a general blood test. This study shows the total number of all leukocytes, as well as the percentage of their individual types (it is called a leukogram or leukocyte formula).
Assessing the percentage of a particular type of white blood cells, one can judge the presence in the child's body of an inflammatory, infectious, or other pathological process. It is on the basis of the results of the blood test with leukogram that the pediatrician sends the child for additional examinations, also taking into account the clinical picture, past diseases and other factors.
Blood is usually taken from the finger to assess leukocyte counts, and a vein is used much less frequently. A newborn baby uses a heel fence because of very small fingers. In order for the level of monocytes in the blood to be reliable, it is important to:
- Bringing the child to donate blood on an empty stomach, because food intake leads to temporary leukocytosis. Before taking blood, it is only permissible to drink a small amount of water. No other drinks or foods are advised to use, as well as drinking too much, because it will affect the result. If the test is performed in infants, after feeding, at least two hours should pass before the blood sample is taken.
- Baby should be calm, because emotional stress affects the performance of blood tests.
- On the form of the analysis must be specified age since this is the main condition for the correct interpretation of the result.
- On the eve of blood tests, active physical exercise and fatty foods are undesirable. Such factors lead to false leukogram results.
- If any medication is prescribed to your baby, this should be reported to the doctor before he deciphers the test. because some drugs can affect the concentration of different types of white blood cells.
What level of monocytes will be elevated
The normal content of monocytes is determined by the age of the child:
- Newborns the number of such white cells should not exceed 10% of all white blood cells.
- From the fifth day after birth monocyte level rises slightly, but not more than 14% of the total number of white cells.
- By the end of the first month of life monocytes begin to decline. For a child at the age of 1 month, no more than 12% of monocytes is the norm in a leukogram.
- Leukocyte formula in the analysis of children from year to 4-5 years contains no more than 10% monocytes.
- At the age of five 4-6% of all leukocytes are considered normal. This indicator leukogram typical for children 5-15 years.
- In adolescents older than 15 years the level of monocytes does not normally exceed 7%.
If an increased value is detected in the child’s blood (greater than the indicated numbers), this condition is called monocytosis.
Types of monocytosis
Depending on the reason for the change in leukogram, monocytosis can be:
- Absolute. The number of leukocytes increases due to a larger number of monocytes. This variant of monocytosis reflects the active immune response of the child’s body and often indicates the presence of a pathological process at the time of the examination.
- Relative. The percentage of monocytes is greater due to a decrease in the percentage of other leukocytes, and the total number of leukocytes may not increase. Such monocytosis is not very informative and often occurs after an illness or a recent injury, and may also be a variant of the norm due to a hereditary feature.
We recommend watching a video in which a specialist from a Moscow clinic talks in detail about what monocytes are, what they are and why they are needed in the human body:
Causes of monocytosis
A slight increase in monocytes occurs with purulent infections and during the recovery period after colds. Such an unexpressed blood change in the form of relative monocytosis occurs during teething, severe bruising or injury. Also, a slight excess can be caused by a hereditary factor.
If monocytosis is a symptom of a serious illness, it is usually pronounced. In diseases, the child’s circulatory system does not cope with a large number of pathogens or other harmful particles, as a result of which monocytes are produced in the bone marrow in greater numbers than in healthy children.
A high percentage of monocytes is detected when:
- Rheumatism, lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. With such pathologies, the body produces an excessive amount of white blood cells, among which there are monocytes.
- Infectious mononucleosis. This disease affects the tonsils, liver, lymph nodes and spleen, and therefore affects the composition of the blood. With this acute infection, both monocytes and lymphocytes rise in the baby’s blood, and atypical cells called mononuclears are detected.
- Tuberculosis. In the first phase of such a disease, the number of monocytes and lymphocytes decreases, but gradually their level increases.
- Brucellosis. With this disease, which in rare cases is transmitted to a child from a sick animal, the number of neutrophilic leukocytes decreases, which leads to relative mono- and lymphocytosis.
- Malaria. In this disease, leukocytosis is observed, so the monocytes also increase. Also, a blood test will show a decrease in hemoglobin and erythropenia.
- Leukemia. An increase in monocytes is characteristic of monoblastic leukemia (it is diagnosed in 2-3% of children with this pathology), and also occurs in myeloblastic leukemia.
- Polycythemia. With this disease affecting the bone marrow, the production of all blood cells increases. And although red blood cells predominate in the blood in the first place, the number of monocytes will also be more than normal.
- Infection with Toxoplasma and other parasites. If you suspect such infections, the child is sent for special examinations to help identify antibodies to the pathogen.
- Congenital syphilis. With this disease, which the baby receives from the mother during fetal development, a blood test will show leukocytosis and a decrease in the number of red blood cells.
- Poisoning with tetrachloroethane, chlorine or phosphorus. Such toxic substances inhibit neutrophils, so the level of monocytes in the blood will be elevated.
In addition, monocytosis is possible with:
- Ulcerative colitis, esophagitis, enteritis and other inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Fungal infection.
- Infective endocarditis.
- Sepsis.
- Surgical treatment, for example, for appendicitis.
Symptoms
In some children, monocytosis is detected by chance during a scheduled examination. This often happens in the period after a recent cold or is a sign of the individual characteristics of a particular child. In such a situation, any symptoms of the disease are absent.
What to do
High levels of monocytes should be a reason to appeal to the pediatrician. The doctor will be able to determine the relative monocytosis in a child or absolute, and then find out the reason for such changes.
As a rule, a slight increase in monocytes is not dangerous, After all, it can provoke various factors, including hereditary. If the numbers are high, this is an alarming signal for “malfunctions” in the work of the child’s body.
A child with monocytosis will be sent to take additional tests, as well as experts will examine. The presence of a large number of monocytes in the baby’s blood indicates the activity of the pathological process and its progression, therefore, the reason for such a blood test result should be identified as quickly as possible. As soon as the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes a suitable therapy, the child’s condition will improve, and the level of monocytes will gradually return to normal.
We recommend to watch the release of Dr. Evgeny Komarovsky’s program on clinical blood analysis:
