Do you know about the 'soldiers' in your blood? (Lymphocytes) Let's talk about this!

Have you ever looked at your blood report, that is, a Full Blood Count (FBC), and seen the word 'Lymphocytes'? Perhaps it was indicated by an arrow indicating that the value was higher or lower than normal. So, seeing this can be a little scary. What are these lymphocytes? Why are they so important to our bodies? Don't worry, we will talk about everything in a simple and clear way today.

Simply put, what are these lymphocytes?

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell in your blood. Think of our body as a country. Our immune system is the army of that country. Lymphocytes are the specially trained, very important soldiers in this army. Their main job is to fight off enemies that enter our bodies, such as germs, viruses, and bacteria, and protect us from disease.

There are two main types of these lymphocyte soldiers.

• T lymphocytes (T cells): These are like the commanders of the army. They control the immune system's response, and they also seek out and directly destroy cells that contain germs and cancer cells that have entered the body.
• B lymphocytes (B cells): These are the weapons manufacturers of the army. They make special proteins called antibodies . These antibodies are like homing missiles. They attach to enemies, such as viruses and bacteria, that have entered the body and inactivate them.

What exactly do lymphocytes do for the body?

The main function of lymphocytes is to protect our body. They fight foreign substances, or antigens , that enter the body. These enemies include viruses, bacteria, and even cancer cells.

But, even more amazingly, lymphocytes have an excellent memory . They never forget an enemy they have once encountered. Imagine, you had chickenpox as a child. At that time, your lymphocytes fought off the chickenpox virus and memorized information about it. We call the cells that hold this memory memory cells . Then, if the same chickenpox virus tries to enter your body again someday, those memory cells quickly recognize it, alert the army that an old enemy has returned, and quickly produce the antibodies needed to destroy it.

How do T cells and B cells work together?

These T cells and B cells are like two people working on the same team, but with different responsibilities. They help each other fight the enemy.

T cells - Commanders and Special Forces of our army!

The main function of T cells is to destroy infected cells and control the overall functioning of the immune system. There are several types of T cells:

• Cytotoxic T cells: These are the special forces of the military. They go directly to infected or cancer cells, attach to them, destroy the cell membrane, and send enzymes inside to kill the cell.
• Helper T cells: As the name suggests, these help other immune cells. Some helper T cells signal B cells, "Here's an enemy, make antibodies quickly." Others help activate killer T cells.
• Regulatory T cells: These are the guys who know when to stop fighting. When a fight is over, they produce substances that stop the immune system's response. If they don't, our army can attack our own good cells.

B cells - weapons manufacturers!

The main function of B cells is to make weapons called antibodies. They can make specific antibodies that are specific to each enemy. There are two ways in which B cells respond:

• Primary immune response: When an antigen is encountered for the first time, B cells are stimulated. Some B cells become memory cells. Other B cells become plasma cells and begin to make antibodies that are specific to that particular antigen. This process can take several days.
• Secondary immune response: If the same enemy comes back to the body one day, the previously formed memory cells quickly recognize it. They then divide rapidly, become plasma cells, and very quickly produce large amounts of antibodies that match that enemy.

How to understand lymphocyte values ​​in a blood report?

YoursThe number of lymphocytes in the blood can vary slightly depending on age, gender, region of residence, and lifestyle. However, there is a generally accepted range of values.

Normally, lymphocytes make up between 20% and 40% of your total white blood cells.

What does an increase in lymphocytes mean? (Lymphocytosis)

When the number of lymphocytes in the blood is higher than normal, we medically call it lymphocytosis . Don't be alarmed when you see this. Most of the time, an increase in the number of lymphocytes is a good sign that your immune system is fighting an infection inside your body.

However, sometimes more serious conditions can cause an increase in lymphocytes.

• Viral infections such as hepatitis
• Syphilis
• Mononucleosis
• Tuberculosis
• HIV and AIDS
• Hypothyroidism
• Infections such as whooping cough
• Blood cancers such as lymphoma or leukemia

What is a decrease in lymphocytes? (Lymphocytopenia)

When the number of lymphocytes in the blood is lower than normal, we call it lymphocytopenia . This condition can be caused by even a minor infection like a common cold or flu. Also, the number of lymphocytes can decrease due to other serious reasons.

• HIV or AIDS
• Tuberculosis or typhoid fever
• Viral hepatitis
• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus
• Radiation or chemotherapy for cancer
• Very rare, congenital genetic conditions

Are there any symptoms caused by changes in lymphocyte levels?

The important thing to remember here is that an increase or decrease in the number of lymphocytes does not cause symptoms on its own . You develop symptoms because of the underlying cause of the change in the number of lymphocytes. For example, if your lymphocyte count is changed due to cancer or a severe infection, you may show symptoms related to that disease.