White Blood Cell

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White blood cells or leukocytes, are cells made mostly in the bone marrow that travel through the blood stream and fight infection. There are five different kinds of white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils with the two most common types being lymphocytes and neutrophils, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes or PMNs (1). Lymphocytes act as soldiers in the body, guarding against anything that shouldn't be there. They identify bacteria or viruses in the body and make the antibodies necessary to kill it. Neutrophils primarily fight the bacteria in infections by surrounding the foreign material and dissolving it with enzymes.

The phrase "white blood cell count" refers to how many neutrophils are in the bloodstream. The white blood cell count changes with age, exercise, eating, stress, even the time of day, but a doctor can account for those things in determining what a normal cell count would be for any particular individual. When a person is fighting an infection or disease the number of white blood cells increases. The condition of having an abnormally high white blood cell count it called leukocytosis. When the white blood cell count falls below a normal level it called leucopenia. This condition can be caused by chemotherapy as well as by some diseases.

Although the literature is mixed, there appears to be some correlation between prolonged asbestos exposure at work, and breaks in the DNA strand found in white blood cells. This may provide a red flag for doctors when reviewing blood samples of patients who may have asbestos related damage (2). Related research suggests that asbestos exposure may damage cells through oxidation (3). If this is the case, taking antioxidants such as vitamins A and C, may play a role in reducing the harmful effects of asbestos exposure.

'White Blood Cell' Sources:
  1. Nancy J. Nordenson, The Gale Group Inc., Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 2002, http://www.healthline.com/dir/consumerhealthencyclopedia/Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine/a/1, White Blood Cells
  2. Increased incidence of DNA double-strand breaks and anti-ds DNA antibodies in blood of workers occupationally exposed to asbestos, Hum Exp Toxicol. 1994 Jan;13(1):3-9., Marczynski B and others.
  3. Changes in low molecular weight DNA fragmentation in white blood cells of workers highly exposed to asbestos., Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2001 Jul;74(5):315-24., Marczynski B and others.




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