Numerous cells of the immune system perform a variety of functions, but they have one common goal - maintaining a constant internal environment of the body.
But achieving it is achieved in different ways: some cells eat bacteria, others produce antibodies that are lethal to them, others are responsible for destroying the affected cells of their own body, and others regulate the activities of all the others.
A flexible protection system is formed that can save human life from many threats. Monocytes are precisely those cells that are responsible for eating their “enemies.” They are able to move through liquids , like amoebas, attracted by chemicals secreted by bacteria. These cells are produced in the red bone marrow.
What are monocytes?
Monocytes are large cells that have one nucleus and do not have granules in the cytoplasm, but have a large number of lysosomes (special formations that serve for intracellular digestion and processing of chemicals).
Monocytes are able to absorb and process any bacterial cells or the remains of the body’s own cells. They travel with the bloodstream or independently, concentrating in the peripheral blood. Monocytes are very active in an acidic environment, in which other types of immune system cells are not active. Monocytes are capable of chemotaxis (movement towards a higher concentration of a chemical stimulus).
Monocytes, with the help of their pseudopods and amoeboid shape, are able to travel inside other tissues, not just in the blood. There they find and destroy bacteria just as they do inside the bloodstream itself.
Once in the tissue, monocytes remain there, turning into tissue macrophages - immobile cells that eat bacteria and cannot return to the bloodstream.
Monocytes are normal in women
One of the important indicators determined during a blood test is the level of monocytes in the blood. Monocytes are a type of white blood cell. These are the largest and most active blood cells produced by red bone marrow. Together with the blood flow, immature monocytes enter the body tissues and degenerate into macrophages. The main function of these blood elements is the destruction and absorption of pathogenic microorganisms that have entered the body and the elimination of remnants of dead cells. Due to the fact that monocytes perform such important work, they are called “the body’s wipers.” It is monocytes that become an obstacle to the formation of blood clots and cancer cells. In addition, monocytes take part in the process of hematopoiesis.
The norm of monocytes in the blood
In order to know whether the blood parameters detected during the analysis (including the level of monocytes) are normal or not, it is necessary to have an idea of the norm of monocytes in absolute terms.
The norm of monocytes in the blood is from 3% to 11% of the total number of all leukocytes or approximately 400 cells per 1 ml of peripheral blood (i.e. blood circulating outside the hematopoietic organs). The norm of monocytes in the blood of women may be less than the lower limit and amount to 1% of the number of leukocytes.
White cell levels also change with age:
- the content of monocytes in the blood of a newborn child ranges from 3% to 12%;
- at two weeks of age the level can reach 15%;
- in a one-year-old baby the norm is 4-10%.
In adulthood, the normal number of monocytes in the blood rarely exceeds 8%.
Changes in the level of monocytes in the blood
Increased monocytes
Experts, as a rule, are calm about an increase in the level of monocytes in a child, even by 10%, since such a change accompanies natural physiological processes associated with childhood, for example, teething. An excess of the number of monocytes compared to the norm during a general blood test in an adult indicates a malfunction in the functioning of the circulatory system, as well as the development of an infectious disease, such as:
- tuberculosis;
- syphilis;
- enteritis;
- brucellosis;
- lupus erythematosus;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- mycosis, etc.
Deviations in the content of monocytes can signal the development of a malignant formation in the body. An increase in the number of white cells is often observed in the postoperative period. In women, the cause of this shift is most often gynecological surgery.
Decreased monocytes
A decrease in the level of monocytes is a rarer phenomenon than an increase in this indicator. This does not necessarily indicate the development of the disease. For example, many women have low monocytes during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It is at this time that anemia may appear as a result of exhaustion of the body.
Other common causes of low monocyte levels in the blood:
- some infectious diseases, primarily typhoid fever;
- hereditary anemia;
- taking corticosteroids and cytostatics;
- diseases associated with damage to brain cells.
A decrease in the level of monocytes is often observed in the postoperative period during organ transplantation. But in this case, it is caused artificially by suppressing the immune system with drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted tissues and organs.
In any case, a change in the content of monocytes in the blood is a reason to undergo a medical examination in order to identify the cause and, if necessary, carry out appropriate therapy.
What are monocytes used for?
Monocytes serve more than just eating bacteria . They are also able to fight viruses. At the same time, they do not die, like other cells of the immune system, so pus does not form in the foci of viral infection.
In addition, monocytes produce certain chemical compounds. One such compound is tumor necrosis factor, a protein that kills cancer cells. This is a very important mechanism for protecting the body from cancer.
There, monocytes attract various other cells responsible for immunity to the site of the lesion: neutrophils, eosinophils and others.
Significance of monocytes:
Monocytes are an indispensable component of the immune system, which in its importance even surpasses its other elements in some ways. Thus, it is known that monocytes can absorb very large harmful particles - those that eosinophils and neutrophils are not able to “eat”. In addition, monocytes destroy infectious agents in conditions where more numerous neutrophils cannot cope with this task (for example, in an acidic environment). Finally, it’s not for nothing that these cells are called “janitors.” At the site of inflammation, where the fight against a harmful object occurs, they not only devour microbes and other harmful particles, but also get rid of the remnants of other immune cells that died as a result of phagocytosis. In this way, the area is “cleansed” of everything unnecessary, so that later the tissues can heal better.
Phagocytosis carried out by monocytes (scheme)
The optimal content and quality of work of monocytes is what largely determines the state of our health. It is very important that these cells function well. Unfortunately, many diseases lead to changes in the monocyte-macrophage system, which is reflected in a person’s well-being and the number of his diagnoses.
To maintain the ideal state of the immune system, as well as to treat existing diseases, you can use the drug Transfer Factor. It contains information molecules that “train” lymphocytes to function correctly and convey to them information about possible aggressors that the human body may encounter throughout life. All this “unloads” monocytes and helps them work better for the benefit of health.
Decrease in monocyte count
The number of monocytes decreases in bone marrow diseases:
- This organ most often affected by radiation. A similar thing is observed in victims of the Chernobyl disaster or nuclear tests, in those who work with radioactive materials or were poisoned by thallium.
- The bone marrow also suffers during cancer chemotherapy. This is due to the fact that the substances used in therapy are harmful to those cells that divide intensively, and bone marrow cells are just such. As a result, the production of monocytes decreases and their number in the blood decreases.
- During inflammatory reactions, monocytes can accumulate at the site of inflammation, and their number in the bloodstream decreases.
Table of monocyte norms by age
The normal levels of monocytes in the blood of women, men, and children (by age) are presented in the table.
| Age. | Monocytes %. | Monocytes, abs. quantity. |
| newborns | 3 — 12 | 0,19 -2,4 |
| Up to 2 weeks | 5-15 | 0,19 – 2,4 |
| Up to 1 year | 4 — 10 | 0,18 -1,85 |
| 1 – 2 years | 3 — 10 | 0,15 – 1, 75 |
| 2 – 3 years | 3-9 | 0,15 – 1, 75 |
| 37 years | 3-9 | 0,12 – 1,5 |
| 7 – 10 years | 3-9 | 0,10 – 1,25 |
| 10 years – 16 years | 3-9 | 0,09 – 1,15 |
| Girls over 16 years old, women | 3-11 | 0,04 -0,8 |
| Boys over 16 years old, men | 3-11 | 0,04 -0,8 |
Increased monocyte count
Expert opinion
Kovaleva Elena Anatolyevna
Doctor-Laboratory Assistant. 14 years of experience in clinical diagnostic services.
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Monocytes increase in infectious or parasitic diseases. The difference between the two types of diseases is that the causative agents of the first are bacteria and viruses, and the second are animal parasites.
Bacterial and viral infections that lead to an increase in the number of monocytes
include syphilis , brucellosis, mononucleosis, and sepsis.
Parasitic diseases (infestations) – malaria and helminthiases.
Reasons for deviation of monocytes from the norm
An increase or decrease in the number of monocytes is a symptom that should alert you. It is important to take measures to identify the reasons that provoked this.
What could cause an increase
The most common cause of excess monocytes, which is called monocytosis, is the penetration of viral or fungal diseases into the body. However, the number of reasons is not limited to this. Among the pathologies that cause an increase in the level of white blood cells are:
- diseases associated with hematopoiesis;
- typhus;
- venereal diseases;
- dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- tuberculosis;
- oncological diseases.
Surgical intervention through abortion is no exception. Significant deviations provoke autoimmune pathological conditions.
Decreased performance. What is the reason?
Indicators indicating a decrease in monocytes are less common. They do not always indicate the presence of pathological processes. This condition is called “monocytopenia”. As already noted, a temporary decrease is acceptable in women when they are pregnant and for a short period after childbirth.
But a decrease in quantity may indicate other factors:
- genetic predisposition to various types of anemia;
- infectious diseases accompanied by a decrease in the level of neutrophils in the blood;
- consequences of taking corticosteroids and cytostatics;
- recovery period after organ transplantation;
- prolonged stay in a state of shock or stress;
- decreased immunity associated with large weight loss.
Important to remember! Women of any age should take care of their health. To do this, it is necessary to do an analysis for the presence of monocytes once a year.
The presence of parasites in the body, which can cause significant harm to health, has a negative effect on the level of monocytes.
Lifestyle and normalization of monocytes
The number of monocytes is greatly influenced by a person’s lifestyle. It has been proven that moderate physical activity (work, running, lifting weights in moderation), temperature changes, fresh air, short-term stress (necessarily followed by discharge) stimulates the production of immune system cells. Therefore, an active lifestyle and exercise will help those who have few monocytes in the blood.
Nutrition also affects. The production of monocytes requires proteins and B vitamins . Alcoholic drinks, nicotine and other drugs, on the contrary, reduce the production of these cells.
How are they indicated in a blood test?
When visiting the clinic, the doctor first directs the patient to undergo clinical tests. The results of the indicators are written in Latin letters and have their own reference values. Therefore, it is difficult for the patient himself to understand how monocytes are indicated in a blood test and what their value is normal.
The doctor will explain what monocytes show in a blood test, what this can mean, and what they are responsible for in an adult. In the analysis results, this indicator is recorded as MON. This result can be measured as a percentage or in absolute units. Monocytes in the blood normally do not exceed 11% of the total number of all leukocytes.
Blood test form
The increase in this indicator can be relative or absolute. Relative is an increase in the percentage of monocytes above normal with their normal total number. At the same time, the number of leukocytes in the blood test remains normal.
Absolute monocytosis is an increase in their total number. This condition is usually accompanied by a simultaneous increase in other white blood cells.
Thus, to the question of what monocytes in the blood indicate, we can answer that this indicator is not nonspecific. And it should be interpreted only in conjunction with other laboratory studies. Why can leukocytes in the blood be low?
Norm
In all healthy adults, monocytes make up 3-13% of the total number of white blood cells. This is approximately equal to 0.1-0.6 by 10 to the 9th power pieces per liter. Children have fewer monocytes - 2-12% of the total number. This wide variation is explained by the fact that different diseases activate the production of different types of white cells. Therefore, the percentage is determined by what the person has been sick with recently.
Norm after 30 (table)
The normal number of monocytes after thirty changes slightly:
| Age | Monocyte count |
| 30-40 | 3-10% |
| 40-50 | 3-11% |
| 50-60 | 3-12% |
| 60-70 | 3-13% |
| Older | 3-13% |
Minor changes may be associated with diseases that affect the human body more and more as he ages.
Determination of the level of monocytes in the blood
The level of monocytosis is measured in two indicators:
- absolute, demonstrating the number of cells per liter of blood, with the norm in adults up to 0.08 * 109/l, in children - up to 1.1 * 109/l;
- relative, showing whether monocytes are increased in relation to other leukocyte cells: the limit level is considered to be 12% in children under 12 years of age, and 11% in adult patients;
To check the blood for the content of monocytes, an advanced analysis is prescribed with a detailed decoding of the leukocyte formula. Donation of capillary blood (from a finger) is carried out in the morning, on an empty stomach. Drinking before the test is also not recommended.
Purulent and inflammatory processes in the body are common reasons why monocytes are elevated. If initial tests indicate that monocytes are significantly increased with a normal leukocyte count or a drop in their overall level, additional research must be carried out. Separated from other white cells, elevated monocytes are quite rare, so doctors recommend repeating the analysis after some time to exclude erroneous results. In any case, you should not decipher the analysis yourself: only a specialist can correctly interpret the resulting numbers.
