Index
Basophils are a type of white blood cell. These cells are produced in your bone marrow. White blood cells are part of your immune system.
They release special enzymes to help protect your body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders. Typically, basophils make up less than 1 percent of your circulating white blood cells. A healthy range is from 0 to 3 basophils in each microliter of blood.
A low basophil level is called basopenia. It can be caused by infections, severe allergies, or an overactive thyroid gland.
An abnormally high level of basophils is called basophilia. It can be a sign of chronic inflammation in your body. Alternatively, it may mean that a condition is causing too many white blood cells to be produced in the bone marrow.
Your doctor can monitor your basophil levels by doing a blood test.
Causes of basophilia
Some types of conditions can lead to basophilia:
Myeloproliferative disorders: conditions that cause the bone marrow to produce too many white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets:
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
- Primary myelofibrosis.
- Essential thrombocythemia.
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
Inflammation:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Ulcerative Colitis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
Allergies:
- Allergies to food
- Allergies to medicines.
- Hay fever.
- Allergic rhinitis.
- Infections
- Chickenpox.
- Tuberculosis.
What are the symptoms of basophilia?
A high number of basophils can cause itching and other symptoms of an allergic reaction. Still, other symptoms depend on what condition is causing the problem.
Symptoms of myeloproliferative disorders:
- Fatigue.
- Weakness.
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Night sweats.
- Fever.
- Unexplained weight loss
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Blurred vision or other vision changes.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Numbness or tingling of the hands and feet.
- Bone-ache.
- Belly pain or swelling
Symptoms of ulcerative colitis:
- Diarrhea.
- Cramps in the belly.
- Rectal pain or bleeding.
- Weightloss.
- Fatigue.
- Fever.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis:
- Inflammation of joints.
- Pain in the joints.
- Rigidity.
- Fatigue.
- Fever.
- Weightloss.
Symptoms of allergy:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose.
- Tearful and itchy eyes.
- Itch.
- Wheezing
- Eruption.
- Urticaria.
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Swelling of the mouth and tongue.
Symptoms of infections:
- To.
- Fever.
- Fatigue.
- Cold.
- Night sweats.
- Headache.
- A general feeling of discomfort.
- Loss of appetite or weight loss.
- Eruption.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor may discover high numbers of basophils while doing a complete blood count (CBC) for another reason. After an abnormal CBC, your doctor may give you a blood sample. A drop of your blood is spread on a slide to look for abnormal red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
The tests you get next depend on the condition that your doctor thinks might have caused the high numbers of basophils.
Tests for the causes of basophilia may include:
Blood tests: Your doctor may order these tests to check the abnormal number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Blood tests can also look for inflammation or abnormal levels of proteins and other substances. A blood test can also detect allergies.
Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration: Your doctor removes a sample of bone marrow from your hip bone. The model is then tested in a laboratory to verify if your bone marrow produces healthy blood cells.
Genetic tests: These tests can look for genetic mutations that cause diseases like polycythemia vera and CML.
Ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to create images of your organs. You can show if your spleen is enlarged. Some cancers and infections can cause enlargement of the spleen.
Treatment and management
Basophilia is not treated in general but may improve once the condition causing it is treated.
Myeloproliferative disorders are treated with:
Chemotherapy: The medications used for this treatment destroy other blood cells in your body.
Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high-energy x-rays to kill other blood cells.
Surgery: If your spleen is enlarged, your doctor may remove it. This operation is called a splenectomy.
Stem cell transplant: This procedure replaces the stem cells in your bone marrow so that it is possible to generate healthy new blood cells.
Diseases such as ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis are treated with medications that decrease inflammation and the immune system.
People with allergies should avoid their triggers (pollen, dust, pet dander, etc.). Allergy vaccines can desensitize allergens, such as weeds, mold, dust, and insect bites.
Infections caused by bacteria are treated with antibiotics.
Complications of basophilia
Basophilia does not produce complications, but the conditions that cause it can. The difficulties you get depend on the disease you have but may include:
- An enlarged spleen.
- Infections
- Pain.
- Abnormal blood clotting
- Bleeding
- Increased risk of cancer
