From the Guidelines
Your complete blood count (CBC) with differential shows all values are within normal ranges, indicating a healthy white blood cell distribution and no signs of infection, inflammation, or other abnormalities. Neutrophils at 45% (normal 31-71%), lymphocytes at 47% (normal 17-55%), monocytes at 5% (normal 5-13%), eosinophils at 3% (normal 0-7%), and basophils at 0% (normal 0-1%) are all within the normal ranges. These results suggest your immune system is functioning normally without signs of infection, inflammation, or other abnormalities. No medical intervention is needed based on these results, as studies such as 1 and 1 demonstrate that an elevated white blood cell count, high percentage of neutrophils, or left shift are associated with a high probability of underlying bacterial infection, but your results do not indicate any of these conditions. White blood cells are crucial components of your immune system, with neutrophils primarily fighting bacterial infections, lymphocytes combating viral infections and producing antibodies, monocytes helping with inflammation and tissue repair, and eosinophils and basophils responding to allergic reactions and parasitic infections. Regular blood work is still recommended as part of routine health maintenance to monitor for any changes over time. Key points to consider include:
- Neutrophils: 45% (normal 31-71%)
- Lymphocytes: 47% (normal 17-55%)
- Monocytes: 5% (normal 5-13%)
- Eosinophils: 3% (normal 0-7%)
- Basophils: 0% (normal 0-1%) As noted in 1, an elevated total band count, high percentage of neutrophils, or left shift can indicate a high probability of underlying bacterial infection, but these conditions are not present in your results.
From the Research
Neutrophils and Infection Diagnosis
- Neutrophil count can be an indicator of infection, with elevated levels often associated with bacterial infections 2, 3.
- The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been proposed as a useful marker in the diagnosis of bacteraemia, with a higher ratio indicating a higher likelihood of bacterial infection 3, 4.
- However, NLR has been found to have low sensitivity, meaning that a normal ratio does not necessarily rule out infection 4.
Lymphocytes and Infection Diagnosis
- Lymphocyte count can also be affected by infection, with decreased levels often associated with viral infections 5.
- The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been found to be higher in neonates with sepsis or viral infection than in those with other infections or healthy controls 4.
Monocytes and Eosinophils
- Monocyte count can be affected by infection, but its role in diagnosis is less clear 4.
- Eosinophil count is often elevated in parasitic infections, but its role in bacterial or viral infection diagnosis is limited 5.
Basophils
- Basophil count is not typically used in infection diagnosis, as it is often very low and not significantly affected by most infections.