The white colored cells in the composition of the blood are called lymphocytes (LYM) and serve to protect the body against microbes. White blood cells produced in the bone marrow are found in the blood and lymph tissues. Lymphocytes are one of the parameters investigated in the blood count, also called hemogram, in routine health controls or in tests for any reason. As a result of the assay, lymphocyte levels indicated as LYM may be below or above the normal value range for various reasons.
What are Lymphocytes (LYM) and What Are Their Roles?
Individuals who see a problem with their LYM values as a result of the blood test are curious about the answers to questions such as what is LYM, what does low LYM and high LYM mean? . In some cases, such blood values may go out of the normal range for simple reasons such as stress and infections, but if an abnormal finding is found in the blood results, a physician should be consulted.
Lymphocytes are one of the main immune cell types of the body. The answer to the question of what is the LYM blood value can be stated as the amount of lymphocytes in the blood. Lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system and produced in the bone marrow, are responsible for fighting and destroying many factors such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, foreign substances and cancer cells that threaten the body.
The immune system, including lymphocytes, is actually a complex network of immune cells, and in order for immunity to be strong, all immune cells in this network must be within the required value ranges. Basically, lymphocytes are divided into two subtypes. These are B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. Both types of lymphocytes originate from and are produced from stem cells in the bone marrow. Then, T lymphocytes go to the thymus gland, which has important functions in the immune system and is located in the neck region, while B lymphocytes remain in the bone marrow. The job of B cells is the production of antibodies, an immune protein that fights against foreign substances called antigens. Each of the B cells differentiates to produce a specific antibody. The produced antibody matches the antigen entering the body in a key-lock match and destroys the antigen.
The task of T cells is to ensure that the body destroys cancer cells and to regulate the immune response to antigens that enter the body. T lymphocytes can kill cells from cancerous tissues or cells that have been taken over by viruses. In addition to these two basic types of lymphocytes, there is also a type of lymphocyte known as NK lymphocytes. NK lymphocytes originate from the same site as B and T lymphocytes and are also known as natural killer cells. These lymphocytes can react very quickly against some specific antigens and can quickly kill cancer cells and cells affected by viruses.
In What Range Should the LYM Value in the Blood?
Lymphocyte (LYM) levels, one of the parameters that create a question mark in the blood of what is LYM, can vary depending on various factors. Lymphocyte values may differ among people depending on factors such as race, gender, lifestyle, and region of residence. At the same time, any disease, acute or chronic, can cause a temporary or permanent decrease or increase in lymphocyte levels. In addition to all these, the range of values that should be considered normal may differ between laboratories performing the blood test.
Under normal conditions, blood lymphocyte level in healthy individuals should be between 1000-4800 mcl in adults and 3000-9500 mcl in children. Therefore, these values are specified as the LYM reference range. Since the immune system in infants is just developing, lymphocyte levels can reach up to 11000 mcl. Since these average value ranges may change due to the above reasons, the test results should be evaluated by the physician requesting the analysis by looking at the reference ranges of the laboratory where the test was performed.
The majority of disorders in lymphocyte values develop due to infections in the body. However, in some cases, slight decreases and increases can also occur for simple reasons. However, patients who see a disorder related to this value in the blood test and seek answers to questions such as what is the LYM value, what is the hemogram LYM, planting should be consulted. If the results obtained in the LYM test indicate any disease, further research and diagnostic tests can be applied by the physician.
What Does High LYM Mean?
High level of lymphocytes (lymphocytosis), LYM in the blood level is above the reference values. This usually happens after an infectious disease. Most of the time it is a harmless and temporary condition and does not require any medical treatment. However, lymphocytosis with higher lymphocyte levels; It can be a symptom of different types of diseases such as some chronic diseases, blood cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, viral infections such as measles and chickenpox, diseases such as tuberculosis and pertussis, toxoplasma disease caused by parasites, HIV and AIDS, brucellosis and vasculitis also cause an increase in lymphocyte level.
Lymphocyte elevation usually does not cause any symptoms in the patient. It does not cause any problems and is detected as a result of blood tests. However, in some cases, symptoms such as nausea, fever and fatigue may be seen in some of the patients due to the health problem that causes high lymphocyte levels.
Further research should be conducted on the cause of this situation in lymphocyte levels, which are generally over 3000 mcl in adults and above 9000 mcl on average in children, although it varies according to age.
If the situation that causes the lymphocyte level to rise is not a serious disease such as blood cancer, lymphocyte levels will enter the normal range after the disease is cured with antibiotics and similar treatments for the infection. If there is no infection, further investigations such as different blood tests, medical imaging tests and biopsy can be applied to the cause of LYM elevation. In patients diagnosed with cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and oncological surgery can be applied after determinations such as the stage and type of cancer are made.
What Does Low LYM Mean?
Low LYM means that the lymphocyte levels in the blood are below the reference range It is a condition that is detected under the condition of lymphopenia and is called lymphopenia. Slight decreases in lymphocyte levels are due to reasons such as stress, unbalanced diet, and intense physical activity. may develop. Such low lymphocyte levels, which are also seen after infections such as the common cold, are usually temporary and harmless. However, the probability that a significant low lymphocyte level indicates a health problem increases. Some of the conditions that can cause lymphopenia are:
- Failure to produce enough lymphocytes by the body
- Retention of lymphocytes in the spleen or lymph nodes
- Destruction of lymphocytes by toxins
- Diseases such as lymphoma, lymphocytic anemia and hodgkin lymphoma
- Autoimmune diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
- Vitamin and mineral (especially zinc) deficiencies
- Cancer treatment applications
- Intestinal diseases such as celiac, Crohn's or ulcerative colitis
- Chronic kidney diseases
- Nervous diseases such as multiple sclerosis
- Hereditary diseases
- Use of drugs containing cortisone
- HIV and AIDS
- Infectious diseases
- Excessive use of alcohol and cigarettes
Lymphocyte drop that develops after infectious diseases and intense physical activity does not require any treatment and heals spontaneously in a short time. In some cases, lymphopenia may develop due to the drugs used or the treatment practices taken. In such cases, the physician may resort to ways such as medication or treatment changes. In addition to complying with the recommendations given by the physician, you can help improve your blood values by taking measures such as a healthy and balanced diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol use, and paying attention to sleep patterns. Ask the expert team of Hospitals You can ask for suggestions regarding your question. You can use the contact form on our website to reach us.
Read: 19
