Leukocytes

• Granulocytes
a. Neutrophils
b. Eosinophils
c. Basophils
• Agranulocytes
a. Monocytes
b. Lymphocytes
 Normal Percentages Of Different WBCS

• Polymorphonuclear neutrophils 62 %

• Polymorphonuclear eosinophils 2-3 %

• Polymorphonuclear basophils 0.4 %

• Monocytes 5.3 %

• Lymphocytes 30.0 %
• Phagocytes:
Neutrophil, Monocyte, Eosinophil, Basophil
• Non phagocyte ( Immunocytes):
Lymphocytes
At birth: Neutrophils predominate
End of 2nd week and throughout infancy and
childhood : Lymphocyte > 50%
4th year : Granulocytes/Lymphocytes are equal
In adults: Granulocytes predominate
 Leukocytes
• Normal Range : 4000-11000 per cubic mm
• Leukocytosis : Increased WBC count in blood
• Leucopenia :Reduced WBC count in blood
 Leukemia

Definition:
Great increase in number of abnormal WBC in
the circulating blood
Types:
•Myelogenous Leukemia
•lymphocytic Leukemia
 Effects of Leukemia
• Metastatic growth
Bones – pain , tendency to fracture
Spread to spleen, Lymph node, liver
• Development of infection
• Severe anemia
• Bleeding tendencies
• Excessive use of metabolic substrates--- Long
metabolic starvation sufficient to cause death
 Granulopoiesis
Myeloblast.
Size : 20-25 Micro meter
Shape: Round/ Oval
Nucleus:
Large, oval or Round and eccentric. Has a thin
nuclear membrane and finely dispersed, granular,
purplish, pale chromatin. 2-5 light blue-gray nucleoli.
Cytoplasm:
Small, basophilic, lacks specific or non specific
granules
Nuclear/ cytoplasmic ratio 7:1
Promyelocyte.
Size: 14-20 Micro meter
Shape: Round or Oval
Nucleus:
Round, oval or eccentric, possibly slightly indented
and surrounded by a thin membrane, still large but
is beginning to shrink. Chromatin condensation
appear.
1 – 3 nucleoli may be faintly visible.
Cytoplasm:
Pale blue. nuclear / cytoplasmic ratio is
4:1 or 5:1. None specific, peroxide containing
azurophilic granules are characteristic
Myelocyte.
Size: 15- 18 Micro meter
Shape: Round
Nucleus:
Condensed, oval, slightly indented and
eccentric. Chromatin coarse. Nucleoli absent
Cytoplasm:
Light pink, acidophilic. Nuclear/ cytoplasmic ratio is 2:1
or 1.5 : 1 contain specific (neutrophilic, eosinophilic or
basophilic) granules
A few non specific granules also seen.
Metamyelocyte.
(Juvenile cell that is last cell capable of mitotic division)
Size: 12 – 18 Micro meter
Shape: Round
Nucleus:
Eccentric, condensed, indented.
Nuclear membrane thick and heavy. Chromatin
concentrated into irregular thick and thin areas.
Cytoplasm:
Abundant, pale or pink
Nuclear cytoplasmic ratio 1:1 very few non
specific granules present. Neutrophilic granules
vary in size but somewhat finer than the previous
stage. Basophilic and eosinophilic granules are large
and equal in size.
Band granulocyte ( Stab cell).
Size: 10 – 15 Micro meter
Shape: Round
Nucleus: elongated, curved and U-shaped.
Not segmented but slightly indented at 1 or 2
points. Chromatin thick and coarse.
Cytoplasm: pale or colorless
Nuclear cytoplasmic ratio 1 : 2
Contains few non specific and more specific
granules.
Segmented( mature) granulocyte.
Size: 10 – 15 Micro meter
Shape: Round
Nucleus:
Eccentric with thick chromatin masses.
Divided into 2 – 5 lobes connected to each other
by thin bridges of nuclear membrane.
Cytoplasm:
Abundant, colorless or eosinophilic.
Nuclear cytoplasmic ratio 1:2
 Characteristics of Granulocytes
a. Margination

b. Migration or Diapedesis

c. Amoeboid movement

d. Chemotaxis

e. Phagocytosis
Diapedesis and Chemotaxis
Life Span of WBCs
Granulocytes: 4-8 hours in blood 4-5 days in
tissues
Neutrophil: 3 - 6 days
“Over 100 billion neutrophils are produced/day”
Circulating pool (Blood): Approx 50%
Marginal pool: Approx 50%
Eosinophil: 8-12 days
Basophil: 12-15 days
Neutrophil
 Functions of Neutrophils
• Phagocytosis

• Lysosomes: Proteolytic enzymes

Myeloperoxidase

• Bactericidal agents. e.g. Superoxide ions,

Hydrogen peroxide, Hydroxyl ions
 Neutrophilia
Increased number of neutrophils in blood
Causes:
• Acute bacterial infections. e.g. Pneumonias,
appendicitis, tonsillitis
• Burns, hemorrhage, tissue injury
• Polycythemia vera
• Strenuous exercise
 Neutropenia
Decreased number of neutrophils in blood.
Causes:
• Bacterial infections. e.g. Typhoid fever.
• viral hepatitis
• Kalazar (Schistosomiasis)
• Bone marrow depression
• Hypersplenism
 Arneth count

Number of lobes

1 2 3 4 5
5% 30% 45% 18% 2%

Shift to left….Acute bacterial infections

Shift to right…. Convalescence stage
Basophil and Mast cells
 Contents of Basophils
• Heparin
• Histamine
• SRS ( slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis)
• Serotonin
• Leukotreins
• Bradykinin
• Eosinophil chemotactic factor
• Neutrophil chemotactic factor
• Many other lysosomal enzymes
 Basophils and Mast cells
• Involved in allergic manifestations (IgE
attached to mast cells & basophils) release
histamine, heparin, bradykinin, serotonin,
SRS-A & lysosomal enzymes
• Removal of fat from blood
Relation between Basophils and IgE molecules
Eosinophil
 Characteristics of Eosinophils.
• Weakly phagocytic
• Role in terminating inflammatory reactions by liberating
enzymes e.g. Histaminase, arylsulfatase
• Cleaning up of cell debris (detoxify inflammatory substances,
phagocytize & destroy Ag-Ab complexes)
• Lysosomes contain hydrolytic enzymes
• Major basic protein( Larvicidal)
• Reactive oxygen
• Peroxidases
 Eosinophilia
Increased number of eosinophils in blood
Causes:
• Allergic conditions e.g. Bronchial asthma, hay
fever
• Parasitic infestations e.g. hookworm,
trichinosis(Trichinella), schistosomiasis etc.
• Dermatitis
 Eosinopenia
Decreased number of Eosinophils in blood
Causes:
Coticosteroids
Over activity of adrenal cortex
Diurnal variation: less in the morning ,may
be in response to increased secretion of
ACTH in the morning
Monocyte and Macrophage
 Monocytes
Life Span :10-20 hrs to 72 hrs in blood/capillaries
Continue to mature and enlarge to become
macrophage
Macrophages life span ranges between months
and years
 Characteristics of Monocyte
• Phagocytosis
• Bactericidal agents
• Presence of lipase
• Can phagocytize about 100 bacteria, viruses,
red blood cells, carbon particles and malarial
parasite
 Monocyte macrophage system(Reticuloendothelial
System)

Monocytes in blood plus both fixed and

wandering macrophages and a few specialized
endothelial cells in bone marrow, spleen and lymph
nodes
Brain: Microglia
Skin: Histiocytes
Lungs: alveolar macrophages
Liver: Kupffer cells
Spleen, Bone marrow, lymphatics: Sinusoids
Lymphatic Channels: littoral cells
 INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is an immediate protective response of tissues to
injury. It also involves surrounding uninjured tissues.
Causes
•Bacteria
•Trauma
•Chemicals
•Heat
Mediators of inflammation
• Histamine
• Bradykinin
• Serotonin (5-HT)
• Prostaglandin (PG)
• Complement System Products
• Clotting Products
• Lymphokines (Sensitized T cells)
 INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is characterized by
(1) vasodilation of the local blood
vessels, with consequent excess local blood flow
(2) increased permeability of the capillaries, allowing leakage of
large quantities of fluid into the interstitial spaces;
(3) often clotting of the fluid in the interstitial spaces because of
increased amounts of fibrinogen and other proteins leaking from
the capillaries
(4) migration of large numbers of granulocytes and monocytes
into the tissue
(5) swelling of the tissue cells.
 Inflammation
1st line of defense: Macrophages
2nd line of defense: Neutrophils
3rd line of defense: Second macrophage
invasion
4th line of defense: increased production of
granulocytes and Monocytes by bone
marrow
Feedback control of the macrophage and Neutrophil
responses
 Formation of Pus
• After several days of start of inflammation a cavity is
often excavated in inflammed tissue
• It contains necrotic tissue, dead neutrophils dead
macrophages & tissue fluid – mixture is Pus
• After suppression of Infection dead cells and necrotic
tissue autolyze over a period of days and end
products are absorbed into the surrounding tissues
and lymph until most of evidence of tissue damage is
gone