Neutrophilia

Excerpt

Neutrophils are historically defined as "soldiers of our innate immune system." They are the first line of cells recruited at the site of infection and attack, ingest, and digest microorganisms by producing reactive oxygen species. They also play a vital role in acute and chronic inflammatory settings and autoimmune disorders. In adults, the approximate normal range of white blood cell (WBC) count is 4000 to 11,000 cells/microL, out of which 60% to 70% are mature neutrophils circulating in peripheral blood.

An absolute neutrophil count (ANC), defined as the percent of neutrophils in the bloodstream and adults, typically ranges between 2500 to 7000 neutrophils/microL. An increase in the WBC count of more than 11,000 cells/microL is defined as leukocytosis. Neutrophilia is the most common type of leukocytosis. It is defined as an increase in the absolute neutrophil count of approximately more than 7700 neutrophils/microL (11,000 cells/microL x 70 percent), i.e., two standard deviations above the mean.