WBC

LEUCOCYTES
• Mobile unit of body’s protective
system
• Formed partially in bone marrow
and partially in lymph tissue
TYPES
 CONCENTRATION
• Polymorphonuclear • 62%
neutrophils
• Polymorphonuclear • 2.3%
eosinophils
• Polymorphonuclear • 0.4%
basophils
• Monocytes
• 5.3%
• lymphocytes
• 30.0%
 NEUTROPHILS
• Size : 10-14μm
• Cytoplasm : fine pink granules
• Nucleus : multilobed
may contain BARR BODY
 BARR BODY
• In females, sex chromatin is present in 2-5%
neutrophils as a drumstick appendage
attached to the nuclear lobe
• Indicates 2X chromosome

thus helps in determination of gender as

female
 ARNETH COUNT
• Based on nuclear lobe , it is classified as N1 –
N6/N7
• N1 & N2 – Younger neutrophils
• N4 & N5 - older neutrophils
• CLINICAL NOTE: megaloblastic anemia

hypersegmented nucleus
 GRANULES
PRIMARY / AZUROPHILIC SECONDARY / SPECIFIC
• Myeloperoxidase, lysosomal • Lactoferrin , gelatinase and
enzymes, elastase, lysozyme
proteinase, α1-antitrypsin & • Microbicidal and
perforins antibacterial
• Kill bacteria and cause • Large lilac inclusions : Alder
tissue destruction during –Reilly anomaly
inflammation Numerous basophilic
• Auer bodies in AML. inclusion : May –Hegglin
Large blue granules in anomaly
Chediac – Higashi syndrome.
• LIFE HISTORY
Four stages: marrow pool, circulation
pool , margination pool, tissue pool
life in circulation: 6-8 hrs
tissues: 4 days
• FUNCTIONS
actively phagocytic
1st line of defense against acute bacterial
infections
 NEUTROPHIL PHAGOCYTOSIS
• Enter the tissue spaces by diapedesis
• Move through tissue spaces by ameboid
motion.
• Attracted to inflammed tissue areas by
chemotaxis
CHEMOTAXINS:
1] bacterial or viral toxins,
2] degenerative products of
the inflammed tissues,
3] complement complex
activated in inflammed tissue
PHAGOCYTOSIS
1] Rough surface
2] no protective coats
3] opsonisation
 OPSONISATION
• Immune system develops antibodies against
infectious agent
• Antibodies then adhere to bacterial
membrane make them susceptible to
phagocytosis
Also combines to C3 forms C3 molecules
attach to receptors on the phagocyte
membrane initiates phagocytosis
• OPSONINS
IgG antibody
C5a
C3b
• Ingestion
forms pseudopodia , then surrounds the
microbe & forms phagosome
• Killing
- non oxidative mechanism
-oxidative mechanism
• Non oxidative mechanisms
- lysozyme : hydrolyses the cell wall of
bacteria
- lactoferrin : sequesters iron
- defensins : breaking ssDNA structure
• Oxidative mechanism
- OXYGEN METABOLITES : superoxide
anion, free hydroxy radical, hypochlorous acid
- Formed by NADPH-dependent
oxidase reduces molecular O2 to metabolites
- respiratory burst
CLINICAL NOTE: Chronic granulomatous
disease
Conditions alter neutrophil count
 EOSINOPHILS
• Protects against allergy
• Short life span in circulation and longer in
tissues
• Present in epithelia of respiratory, GI,
Genitourinary tract
MORPHOLOGY
 EOSINOPHILIC GRANULES
• Major basic protein
• Eosinophil cationic protein
• Eosinophil- derived peroxidase
• Eosinophil- derived neurotoxin
• cytokines
 FUNCTIONS
• Antihelminthic
• AGAINST Allergy
 Conditions alter eosinophil count
• Eosinophilia
- helminthic infections
- allergic diseases
- drugs
• Eosinopenia
- glucocorticoid therapy
- cushing syndrome
- aplastic anemia
 BASOPHIL
• MORPHOLOGY
 FUNCTIONS
• Acute allergic reactions
• Chronic allergic reactions
• T cell dependent response
• Host defense
Conditions alter the basophil count
• Basophilia
- allergic & inflammatory conditions
- infections
- myxedema
- basophilic leukemia
• Basopenia
- cortisol therapy
- cushing’s syndrome
- hperthyroidism
Difference btw basophils and mastcells
 MONOCYTES
• Second line of defense against microbial
infections
• In blood – monocytes : in tissues-
macrophages
• Mononuclear phagocytic system
• Surface receptors : express HLA class 2 and
their receptors on their surface that help in
antigen presentation
MORPHOLOGY
 FUNCTIONS
• Phagocytosis and microbial killing
• Antigen presentation
• Release of cytokines and enzymes
• LIFE SPAN: circulation : 10-72 hrs
tissues : few weeks to months
Conditions alter monocyte count
 LYMPHOCYTES
• MORPHOLOGICALLY : Divided into small and
large lymphocytes
• FUNCTIONALLY : Tcells, B cells and NK cells
MORPHOLOGY
 Alteration in lymphocyte count
• Lymphocytosis
- infectious mononucleosis
- TB, whooping cough
- ALL, CLL
• Lymphocytopenia
- aplastic anemia
- glucocorticoid
- SCID
 LEUKEMIA
• Abnormal proliferation of leucocytes and their
precursors
• Caused by mutation of myelogenous or
lymphogenous cells
• Results in appearance of abormal and
immature leucocytes
 Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• 80% of childhood
• c/f z: anemia/hemorrhage, infective lesions,
fever,
malaise,lymphadenopathy,splenomegaly,
hepatomegaly
 Acute myeloblastic leukemia
• Adults: 15- 40 yrs
• c/f : same except lymphadenopathy and
hepatosplenomegaly
• Blood picture – anemia, thrombocytopenia,
mod. To high leucocytosis
• Chronic myeloid leukemia
- adults
-splenomegaly
-non specfic features
- neutrophils and metamyelocytes
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- over 50 yrs of age
- lymphadenopathy
- 90% are mature lymphocytes
THANK YOU