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Blood differential

• Overview
• Risks
• Results

Alternative Names:

Differential; White blood cell differential count

Normal Values:

• Neutrophils: 40% to 60%
• Lymphocytes: 20% to 40%
• Monocytes: 2% to 8%
• Eosinophils: 1% to 4%
• Basophils: 0.5% to 1%
• Band: 0% to 3%

What abnormal results mean:

Any infection or acute stress increases your number of white blood cells. High white blood cell counts may be due to inflammation, an immune response, or blood diseases such as leukemia.

It is important to realize that an abnormal increase in one type of white blood cell can cause a decrease in the percentage of other types of white blood cells.

An increased percentage of neutrophils may be due to:

• Acute infection
• Eclampsia
• Gout
• Myelocytic leukemia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatic fever
• Acute stress
• Thyroiditis
• Trauma

A decreased percentage of neutrophils may be due to:

• Aplastic anemia
• Chemotherapy
• Influenza
• Widespread bacterial infection
• Radiation therapy

An increased percentage of lymphocytes may be due to:

• Chronic bacterial infection
• Infectious hepatitis
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Lymphocytic leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Viral infection (such as infectious mononucleosis, mumps , measles )
• Recovery from a bacterial infection

A decreased percentage of lymphocytes may be due to:

• Chemotherapy
• HIV infection
• Leukemia
• Radiation therapy
• Sepsis

An increased percentage of monocytes may be due to:

• Chronic inflammatory disease
• Parasitic infection
• Tuberculosis
• Viral infection (for example, infectious mononucleosis, mumps, measles)

An increased percentage of eosinophils may be due to:

• Allergic reaction
• Parasitic infection
• Hodgkin's disease

A decreased percentage of basophils may be due to:

• Acute allergic reaction

References:

Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Shattil SS, et al. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice . 4th ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2005:1126.

Noble J. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine . 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001.

• Review Date: 3/9/2007
• Reviewed By: Mark Levin, MD, Hematologist and Oncologist, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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