Reasons for increased basophils in a child. Causes and treatment of basophilia in children The absolute content of basophils is increased in a child

Even if we take into account that basophilic granulocytes are the smallest group of the leukocyte formula, their importance for the body does not decrease. And for children, these cells are generally almost in first place in protecting against all sorts of dangers in the form of poisons and allergies.

Therefore, when conducting a general blood test, doctors always carefully study the indicators of each type of leukocyte, not ignoring basophilic granulocytes. It is not so important whether basophils in the child’s blood are low or high; in any case, it is necessary to fully examine him and find the cause of the identified abnormalities.

The main purpose of basophils

The morphological structure of this subspecies of granulocytic cells, included in the type of leukocytes, completely determines its functional abilities. Basophils are the largest white blood cells. They contain a large number of granules of biologically active substances - mediators (intermediaries) that trigger immediate immune mechanisms.

The latter include reactions of an allergic, inflammatory or infectious nature. Allergomediators include many hormones and enzymes, such as histamine, prostaglandins, trypsin, heparin, serotonin, leukotriene and others. Due to heparin, basophils take part in the hemostasis system, ensuring blood clotting.

When a pathogen enters the body, basophils are the first to react and are rapidly destroyed (degranulated). As a result, mediators are released and protective immune reactions are triggered. This leads to the formation of an inflammatory focus and the attraction of other leukocytes to it for further fight against the pathogenic source.

Basophils promote the formation of new capillary networks, providing greater blood flow to the affected area. In addition, they are involved in stabilizing trophic processes, normalizing cell nutrition and tissue activity. The life cycle of these blood cells is quite short - 10-12 days, of which they spend no more than 3-4 days in the blood, and then move to the tissues.

Reference! Basophilic granulocytes have the ability to phagocytose (engulf pathogens), but this is not their main function. It is performed by white cells of other subtypes, for example, monocytes.

The mechanism for producing new basophils is triggered when activated T-lymphocytes secrete special substances, increasing their number. Therefore, an increase in basophils in the blood of a child and an adult is the next link in the chain of immune reactions of the body.

Main characteristics of basophils

Children's norms of basophilic granulocytes

Normal values ​​for children, as well as for adults, are measured in absolute numbers and as a percentage of all other components of the leukocyte formula. The norm of absolute values ​​remains unchanged throughout life and is 0-0.1*10 9 g/l. While the specific gravity of white blood cells of this subtype varies depending on the age of the child, and corresponds to the following values:

• newborns – 0.75%;
• up to 1 month – 0.5%;
• up to 1 year – 0.6%;
• up to 12 years – 0.7%;
• after 12 years – 0.5–1%.

From the indicators accepted as the norm, it is clear that the concentration of basophils decreases slightly by the month of a child’s life, and then gradually increases until adolescence. During this period, the cell content stabilizes and levels out with normal values ​​for adults. Relative values ​​(specific gravity) in infants can change noticeably even over the course of one day.

This is due to the body’s reaction to the child’s condition, especially if his mood changes often, that is, the baby is capricious or behaves restlessly. Such changes may be due to the introduction of complementary foods, the transfer of a child from breastfeeding to artificial feeding, diseases accompanied by pain or fever.

Reference! Therefore, to obtain reliable information about the number of basophilic cells in children, interpretation of the results is carried out in absolute terms.

What causes deviations from the norm?

The number and level of basophilic granulocytes can change not only throughout life under the influence of physiological factors. Noticeable changes caused by pathological causes may also occur. Most often, this is a condition in which the indicators of these cells are increased (up to and above 0.2 * 10 9 g/l), which is called basophilocytosis or basophilia.

Reduced basophils in the blood are called basophilopenia and are considered a rare phenomenon. In addition, in some cases it may be discovered that this type of cell is not present at all in the blood sample, but even this condition is not always a consequence of a pathological process and does not require therapy.

What leads to basophilia

The reasons for the increased content of basophilic granulocytes are quite wide. But almost each of them is accompanied by the introduction of an allergen or infection, with the subsequent development of an inflammatory process. The following list of pathologies is highlighted. Allergic reactions. When meeting an allergen, basophil cells release histamine into the blood, which causes the appearance of typical signs of allergy: mucus from the nose, redness of the eyes, burning, itching.

The very first action is to search for the allergen and protect the child from contact with it. The highest and most dangerous degree of allergic reaction is anaphylactic shock. It develops against the background of an excessive simultaneous release of histamine and can only be stopped with the use of medications.

Redness of the skin of the face is one of the common signs of food allergies in children.

Infections. Any infection, no matter whether it is bacterial, viral or fungal, leads to an increase in basophil levels. In addition, there may be an increase in the content of eosinophilic granulocytes, ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and other blood parameters caused by the immune response. Poisoning with toxic substances, animal and insect bites. The mechanism of development of immune reactions is identical to the allergic process.

Helminthic infestations. In this situation, an increase in the level of eosinophils is also observed, which will require additional tests. B12 deficiency. Increased values ​​of basophilic granulocytes may indicate an unbalanced diet. With a lack of B 12, there is a slight increase in the content of all subtypes of leukocytes, but this may be evidence of the development of iron deficiency anemia.

Diseases of the digestive and respiratory system. Indicators can increase to varying degrees and are completely dependent on the nature of the pathogen. Moreover, basophilocytosis in children can also be an indirect manifestation of other, more serious diseases. Then all components of the blood formula will undergo changes to one degree or another.

Similar changes are observed in pathologies such as:

• leukemia and other diseases of the hematopoietic system;
• polycythemia, diabetes mellitus, lymphoma;
• thyroid dysfunction;
• hepatitis of various origins;
• own hormonal levels;
• kidney disease (nephrosis);
• obesity 2–3 degrees.

The growth of basophilic cells can be observed during radiation therapy and taking hormonal drugs, as well as after splenectomy (removal of the spleen). Basophilocytosis itself is not considered a disease - it is just a condition indicating the likelihood of developing a pathological process. For example, in infants, a high content of basophils (0.07–0.75 * 10 9) can persist even up to 2 years.

How dangerous is basophilopenia?

The condition itself, when basophilic granulocytes are reduced, is not considered dangerous. Since it may be a consequence of stress or exposure to ionizing radiation. In addition, basophilopenia is characteristic of the convalescent period after infectious diseases or with the development of endocrine pathologies. But in such cases, a general blood test will give a result with deviations in several indicators.

In other situations, a decrease in the level of basophils or even their absence has no diagnostic value, and the only thing that should be done is to repeat the tests after a certain period of time. This is done to exclude dysfunction of the hematopoietic system.

If the results of a comprehensive examination reveal that the increase in the number of basophilic granulocytes is associated with exposure to an allergen, then antihistamine therapy is prescribed. This helps reduce the main symptoms (itching, redness, nasal discharge) and alleviate the child’s condition.

If an acute or chronic course of the inflammatory process is detected, antibacterial treatment is carried out aimed at destroying harmful microorganisms. In the absence of confirmation of pathologies in the child’s body, a diet is developed consisting of foods high in vitamin B12. If the indicator is low, in most cases corrective therapy is carried out only when the presence of the disease is determined.

Basophils are one of the smallest groups of leukocytes in human blood. Despite this, they perform an important function. What role does basophil play? What to do if basophils are elevated?

Basophils are one of the constituent groups of leukocyte cells. In terms of its content, it is the smallest in number, but it performs a rather important function - protective. This group of cells originates in the bone marrow, but the time during which it remains in the blood is very short - only a few hours. The main period of time it is in tissue cells. The time during which they remain in tissues is from 10 to 12 days. The number of cells can be determined after a clinical analysis.

What is their function? They participate in all immune processes in the human body. Any reaction is accompanied by the active influence of basophils, be it an allergic reaction or a common cold. Just like ordinary leukocytes, they initiate the inflammatory process that occurs when the body is damaged and infected.

Cells are most active during an allergic reaction in the body. They react extremely sensitively to the allergen, which leads to a large release of them into the tissue. At the same time, their numbers are significantly reduced. Thus, when bitten by a snake or wasp, the poison that enters the human body is neutralized with the help of a small group of leukocytes. Cells react extremely sharply to some types of asthma, poisoning the body with poison.

The appearance of new capillaries is another main function of basophils. They also promote blood clotting.

Cells contain many substances and compounds. These also include heparin, serotonin and histamine. These substances are biologically active. When a large number of basophils enter tissue cells, patients begin to experience discomfort.

These include:

• skin redness;
• the appearance of swelling;
• burning;
• itching sensation.

This is why it is so important to monitor the basophil level in the blood.

Normal indicators

Its normal functioning depends on the number of these cells in the body, because they also perform an immune function. The normal content of these substances depends on the age of the patient.

Blood normal:

• Normal blood levels in adults range from 0.5% to 1%.
• The norm of basophils in children over 12 years of age ranges from 0.5% to 0.9%.
• In newborns, the normal blood level is 0.75%.
• In children after the first month of life, the norm is 0.5%.

Deviations from the norm may indicate improper functioning of organs, infection of the body, as well as the presence of an inflammatory process.

An increased percentage of basophils means that something is seriously affecting the body of an adult or child. The following diseases have this effect:

• Leukemia.
• Myeloid leukemia.
• Gastrointestinal diseases, most often chronic. These diseases include: gastritis, ulcers, colitis.
• Disorders of the thyroid gland.
• Chickenpox.
• Presence of diabetes mellitus.
• Lungs' cancer.
• Intoxication of the body.
• Use of certain hormonal drugs.
• Diseases of the endocrine system.
• Hepatitis.
• Lack of hormones produced by the pancreas.
• For acute allergic reactions of the body to irritants.

Features of treatment

A high rate can be neutralized. To do this, you should consume B vitamins, in particular B12. It is this vitamin that takes part in the formation of blood and also affects brain function.

If basophil and monocytes are elevated, then most likely the patient has a lack of iron in the body. Your doctor may prescribe iron-rich foods. These products include fish, meat, liver, and various seafood. The attending physician may also advise you to follow a diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The basophil level in a child changes as in adults. If their content is increased, this indicates infection. You should consult a pediatrician for advice. A decrease in levels in a child can become a serious disruption to the endocrine system.

The level of these substances may also be low. If the basophil level is low, this indicates a decrease in the level of leukocytes. The following causes of low basophils in the blood are distinguished:

• Infection of the body.
• Excessive production of thyroid hormones.
• Frequent stress.
• Severe fatigue of the body.
• Exhaustion.
• Excessive physical activity.

Quite often, increased and decreased levels return to normal on their own, so there is no point in increasing or influencing it in any way. Before taking any measures, you should consult your doctor. Perhaps he will prescribe additional diagnostic procedures that will identify the factor influencing changes in the level of basophils.

To regulate their content, it is necessary to take a basophil blood test (clinical). Quite often, low levels can be observed in pregnant women in the early stages. Until about the twentieth week. If basophils change for no reason, the doctor prescribes general recommendations to the patient, which include following a diet, doing exercise, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco products.

If the level of basophils has increased, this can become a serious disorder. Most often, an increased level of this element occurs due to improper functioning of the thyroid gland, due to blood diseases, and disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Basophils are a special group of leukocytes and are the smallest in number. If your basophil level changes, you should consult your doctor. He may prescribe the use of vitamin B12, which is found in the following foods: seafood, liver, liver, etc.

When a child feels unwell, it is necessary to promptly prevent negative consequences and the development of the disease. You need to consult a doctor and first of all examine the composition of the blood.
The results of the analysis will tell you what you should pay attention to first. 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 subtype of white blood cells. Their birth and subsequent maturation occurs 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 dampen the effect of allergens that have entered the child’s body and prevent their movement through the tissues. The cells are filled with granules of serotonin, heparin and histamine. When basophils come into contact with pathogenic stimuli, their contents are expelled, that is, the process of degranulation occurs. This is what helps in binding allergens and creating an inflammatory focus.
Basophils perform the following tasks:

• Helps maintain normal blood flow.
• They help in the formation of new capillaries - small blood vessels.
• They mobilize other components of leukocytes to penetrate the inflammatory focus.
• Protects the gastrointestinal tract.
• They normalize trophic processes that provide cellular nutrition and tissue vital activity.
• Activate the inflammatory process.

Basophils are endowed with slight 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.

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 remains 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, since it depends on age.

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

The specific gravity of all types of leukocytes in infants can fluctuate noticeably 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:

• 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 assessed using absolute data.

Deviation of basophils from the norm: reasons

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

Basophils are increased. Why?

Excessive growth of basophils in children can be affected by a variety of conditions:

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

The most likely causes of basophilia are:

Basophilia can occur when a child is iron deficient and develops anemia.

New growths in the lungs are also accompanied by an excess of cells.

The positive thing is that basophilia in children is uncommon.

Decrease in basophil levels

Although the optimal level of basophils is tiny, in some cases it becomes even lower. Often basophils are completely absent from the blood. This condition may accompany the following diseases:

• acute infectious (convalescent 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 and emotional outbursts will cause basophilia. These are not unique childhood realities.

Changes in the level of basophils can signal functional malfunctions 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 wouldn’t hurt to conduct additional tests to identify the specific causes of the slightest discrepancies with the norm.

How to return basophils to normal

Only by identifying the reasons for deviations of basophils from the optimal level can we influence their normalization. Timely treatment of the underlying disease stabilizes the blood composition.
To prevent basophilia and basopenia it is necessary:

• Fill your baby’s diet with foods containing:
  • Vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, lean meats. There is a lot of vitamin in soy milk;
  • iron: liver, fish, red meat, greens;
• protect the child from strong experiences.

If the cause of the deviations lies in taking certain medications, then stopping them will normalize the situation.

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

Basophils (basophilic granulocytes) are a type of leukocyte that originates from the granulocytic lineage of leukopoiesis. After formation in the bone marrow, basophils enter the bloodstream, and after a few hours migrate to the tissues, where they remain for 10 days. Due to the presence of granules inside cells, basophils are classified as. The granules contain a large amount of biologically active substances that take part in the development of inflammation and allergic reactions. The name basophils is due to their violet coloration with basic (alkaline) dyes.

Functions of basophils

The main function of this type of granulocyte is participation in the inflammatory process and the development of allergic reactions, namely anaphylactic shock. In addition, basophils block toxins (insect and animal poisons) that enter the body through the skin and reduce blood clotting due to the presence of heparin. In the focus of inflammation, the basophil is destroyed, and the inflammatory mediators that are released increase the permeability of the vascular wall and stimulate the movement of other granulocyte cells into the inflammatory focus. At the site of degranulation (destruction) of basophils, tissue swelling, itching, and redness occur. Basophils also have minor phagocytic activity (the ability to absorb foreign particles), but this is not their main function.

If a prolonged inflammatory or allergic reaction occurs, a large number of basophils begin to be synthesized in the bone marrow, which, when released into the peripheral blood, cause basophilocytosis (increased number of basophils in the blood).

Changes in the number of basophils in the blood

Basophils are counted along with the rest of the leukocytes that make up the leukocyte formula. All leukocyte cells are taken as 100%, from 0.5 to 1 of which are normally occupied by basophils. When the number of basophilic granulocytes increases above 1%, basophilia occurs. This condition is typical for such pathological conditions as:

• the final phase of acute inflammation;
• decreased thyroid function;
• lymphogranulomatosis (malignant disease of lymphoid tissue);
• spicy ;
• malignant formation in the lungs;
• diabetes;
• jaundice in acute hepatitis;
• allergic reactions;
• taking medications containing estrogen;
• hemolysis (destruction) of red blood cells;
• some viral infections;
• chronic inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract.

Most often, an increased number of basophils in a child is observed with various chronic diseases, with allergies of any origin and with malignant blood diseases.

The opposite of basophilia is called basopenia. Basopenia accompanies bone marrow diseases and a number of endocrine diseases (hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease).

How to normalize basophil levels

Most cases of basophilia do not require specific correction, and this condition goes away if the cause of its occurrence is eliminated. But if there is no visible reason for the occurrence of this pathology, then it is worth thinking about deficiency conditions. A decrease in iron in the blood can also cause basophilia. In this case, the administration of iron supplements or an appropriate iron-containing diet will help normalize the level of basophilic granulocytes in the blood. Cyanocoballamin (vitamin B12), having a positive effect on hematopoiesis, is also able to bring the level of basophils back to normal. Sometimes it is simply enough to stop taking medications that affect the formation of basophilic granulocytes to normalize their number.

In a general blood test, among many others, there is an indicator that is necessarily taken into account in the diagnosis. This is the content of leukocyte basophils. Any deviation from the norm may indicate a serious illness. Therefore, many parents want to know the reasons for the increase in basophils in their child before contacting specialists.

What are basophils and what is their function?

Basophils (basophilic granulocytes) are a type of leukocytes that are formed in the bone marrow, and then enter the bloodstream with subsequent migration into tissues and function in them for 10-12 days. They got their name because when stained according to Romanovsky, these cells absorb the base color.

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Basophil granules contain a huge number of mediator substances responsible for allergic reactions and inflammation. If contact with an allergen occurs, the cells immediately release their biologically active contents, creating an inflammatory effect and thereby binding antigens.

In children, the number of basophils is about 1% of the total number of leukocytes. However, they perform a very important role in the body by removing pathogenic and foreign cells. Therefore, they are also called “scout cells” - because they detect and block allergens, preventing their further spread throughout the organs.

The norm of basophils in a child’s blood

Since these are leukocyte cells, the percentage of basophils in relation to the main number of leukocytes is usually measured. With an extended blood test, an absolute value is sometimes found. Typically, this entry on forms looks like this: BA% (relative number of basophils) or BA# (absolute number of basophils). The BA# norm - both for children and adults - is 0.01-0.065 * 109 g/l. The relative amount depends on age. So, in children under one year old the norm will be 0.4-0.9%. In children older than one year and adolescents, 0.6-1%.

Causes,why basophils in a child’s blood may be elevated

Exceeding this indicator in the blood is called “basophilia”. It suggests that inflammation occurs in the organs. Only a doctor can reliably determine the cause by conducting additional diagnostics. The most famous pediatrician in the CIS, Dr. Komarovsky, believes that all the functions of basophils are not fully understood. A number of reasons, both physiological and indicative of illness, can influence their increase in a child. If no basophils are found in the blood at all, this has no diagnostic value and can only serve as a reason to retake a general blood test a little later.

Basophilia is a rather serious condition that manifests itself in rare diseases and has nothing to do with common childhood diseases (such as acute respiratory infections, for example). Most often, an increase in indicators is observed when:

• inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
• various blood diseases, including malignant ones;
• inflammation of the lymph nodes;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• malignant tumors in the lungs;
• various types of hepatitis;
• chicken pox;
• viral infections;
• diseases of the endocrine system;
• diabetes mellitus;
• in the recovery period after an acute illness;
• allergic reactions.

Sometimes basophils in a child’s blood are elevated due to some physiological factors. This means that at the moment the analysis is unreliable, and it should be retaken after some time.

Factors influencing the result are:

• an x-ray taken the day before the blood test;
• menstruation in girls;
• recovery period after an acute infectious disease;
• taking medications containing large amounts of estrogen.

The reverse of basophilia is called basopenia. A decrease in these cells in the blood may indicate:

• bone marrow diseases;
• decreased levels of hormones synthesized by the thyroid gland;
• pneumonia;
• Itsenko-Cushing's disease.

How to reduce the pathological level of scout cells?

It also happens that the departure of these leukocyte cells beyond the norm is just an individual feature, and not at all evidence of the course of the disease. If specialists, after a series of examinations and additional tests, have not identified the reason for exceeding the norm, most often this indicates the initial stage of anemia.

To adjust the indicators, the child may be prescribed a special diet, which includes foods rich in iron. These are red meat, buckwheat, apples, liver, spinach, pistachios, lentils, peas. If the indicators are much lower than normal, injections of iron and vitamin B12 are prescribed.