High lymphocytes: causes, symptoms and treatment

This problem of our body's immune system may be due to different causes.

Our body is a complex organism that interacts with the environment on a continuous basis.. In spite of this complexity it is extremely delicate, requiring its correct functioning of a balance or homeostasis that different external agents could alter and destroy.

Fortunately, we have a system dedicated to defend us from aggressions of substances coming from outside our organism through their destruction: the immune system, which through cells such as lymphocytes acts to signal and destroy elements possibly harmful to our organism. But sometimes the body generates a quantity of lymphocytes that exceeds the normal, having the subject high lymphocytes..

Lymphocytes in the immune system

Lymphocytes are one of the most important cell types in our body, as they enable the body to fight against the possible arrival of bacteria and viruses that can cause us to become ill. They are a type of white blood cell or leukocyte, forming part of the immune system and circulating in the blood on a regular basis. There are different types, the best known being T, B and NK lymphocytes or natural killers..

In the event of an infection or aggression by agents foreign to the organism itself, these cells proceed to act by binding to the substance that has generated the immune system reaction (the so-called antigen) and synthesizing antibodies, so that they either destroy or serve as a marker for other cells called phagocytes or some subtypes of lymphocytes (such as NK or natural killers) to destroy the supposedly harmful agent. Lymphocytes can also store the information of these antigens, thus allowing the immune system to more easily remember and reject any subsequent entry of the same antigen into the body.

Although they generally act on harmful foreign cells, they need not be pathogens, and disproportionate reactions to harmless substances such as allergies, rejection responses to implants or even attacks on healthy cells of the body itself may be observed in some disorders in which the immune system does not act correctly.

Lymphocytosis or the presence of high lymphocytes

We usually have stable levels of this type of cells, located in most adults between 1500 and 4000 leukocytes per milliliter. However, in different circumstances we can find that these levels of lymphocytes can shoot up, indicating that the organism is acting in an attempt to defend itself against an invading agent. When these levels are above 4000/ml we can consider that we have high lymphocytes, a situation also known as lymphocytosis.

It should be taken into account that in children the normal values are between 5000 and 7000, so the existence of high lymphocytes will mean that these are the levels that are exceeded. In childhood, lymphocytosis is also more common.

Having high lymphocytes does not necessarily generate symptoms, although in general symptoms will appear due to the cause that causes the body to generate so many lymphocytes. Since it is most often the result of an infection, hypothermia, exhaustion, fever, digestive problems such as nausea and vomiting, chills are common. It is also common the presence of respiratory problems, weight loss, poor concentration and visual and hearing capacity. Muscle stiffness, runny nose and tissue inflammation are also common.

This increase in lymphocytes, if maintained over time, increases the chances of the subject suffering from different types of cancer.. It has also been linked to the onset of type 1 diabetes, allergies and asthma.

Causes and types

Having high lymphocytes is generally not a medical disorder or problem per se, but an effect or reaction of the body to a given situation. As a general rule, high lymphocytes are present in situations such as autoimmune disorders or, which is the most common reason for this, the presence of viral and/or bacterial infections.

Thus there are multiple factors that can cause us to have high lymphocytes, but in general we can find two large groups of them. This is what allows us to distinguish between two types of lymphocytosis or high lymphocytes.

1. Monoclonal lymphocytosis

Firstly, there is monoclonal lymphocytosis, produced by an alteration in the lymph that causes it to generate many more lymphocytes than usual or that it does not function correctly. This occurs without the appearance of an external factor. This is what happens in cancers such as leukemia or other related tumors.

In addition to this we can also find, as we have said, autoimmune diseases such as sclerosis, the existence of tumors or the presence of myeloproliferative problems such as leukemia.

2. Polyclonal lymphocytosis

In this case, the lymphocytes are high due to the existence of an infection or the appearance of an external factor that induces a defensive response in the organism. This is the case of infections and allergies.

Among the different infections in which it may appear, we find infections by viruses such as HIV (although they end up being greatly reduced in AIDS, during the initial infection there is some lymphocytosis that aims to act to eliminate the infection) and other STDs, whooping cough or influenza, rubella or herpes. It is also considered as such those situations in which we have high lymphocytes due to stress or substance intoxications.

Treatment

If our lymphocyte levels are exaggeratedly high it will be necessary to lower them, and for this we will have to fight the reason why they are present in such quantity. Thus, in the case of infection, Antibiotics and antivirals will slow down the infectious process and leukocyte levels will gradually return to normal.

At the pharmacological level, immunosuppressants such as methotrexate or steroids such as the widely known glucocorticoids can be applied.. In case of allergies it is also recommended to avoid the element that causes them and/or to use epinephrine in case a life-threatening reaction is occurring. If the cause is cancer such as leukemia, radiotherapy and chemotherapy will also be applied.

Other strategies that can complement the above are the reduction of lymphocytes through diet, hydration and exercise, which will help us to purify our body of harmful agents that may be causing the defensive reaction of our body (although exercise helps to generate lymphocytes, it can also serve to reduce the causes of high lymphocytes).

The use of relaxation and meditation methods can also contribute to solve those cases in which the lymphocytosis has a psychogenic cause, as well as the application of expressive therapies, problem management and stress regulation.