More A Patient’s View of Blood Tests and What They Mean for the Liver Transplant Candidate

Red blood cells are the most numerous blood cell, about 5,000,000 per microliter.  Red blood cells make up about 40% of our total blood volume, a measure called the hematocrit.  Their color is caused by hemoglobin, which accounts for nearly all of the red cell volume.  Hemoglobin is the critical protein that transports oxygen from our lungs to the tissues.  Red cells are normally shaped as round, biconcave discs.  With microscopic examination, they look like a red or orange tire with a thin, almost transparent center.  Their function is to carry oxygen throughout the body to organs and the like. They are produced in the bone marrow.

White blood cells are the largest of the blood cells but also the fewest.  There are only 5000 to 10,000 white blood cells per microliter.  There are several different types of white cells but all are related to immunity and fighting infection. 

Eosinophils - EOS

There are many disorders where the eosinophils have been found elevated either in the blood or in different tissues. The experts in the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorder at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provide a list of general categories of diseases with some examples included.

Allergic Disorders: Allergic disorders are classically characterized by presence of eosinophils. Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (hay fever) has increased levels of eosinophils in the nasal mucosa. Asthma, after an exacerbation, shows increased eosinophils in the lung.

Drug Reactions: Any drug/medicine can precipitate a reaction. Some of these reactions are allergic in nature and eosinophils might be elevated in blood or in tissues where the drug is concentrated.

Infectious Diseases: Parasitic infections (Helminthiasis-worms), fungal infections and some other types of infections are associated with increased eosinophils.

Blood Disorders: A few examples of hematologic disorders with increased esoinophils include the hypereosinophilic syndrome, leukemias, lymphomas, tumors, mastocytosis and atheroembolic disease.

Immunologic Disorders and Reactions: Hyper-IgE syndrome, Ommen's syndrome, thymomas, transplant rejections are only a few types of conditions with increased eosinophils.

Endocrine Disorders: Hypoadrenalism has been associated with blood eosinophilia.

Specific Organ Involvement: Below are certain conditions organized by the organs/tissues that are affected where eosinophils have been found to be increased or pathologically present.

Skin and subcutaneous disorders	Atopic dermatitis (eczema), bullous pemphigoid, pemphigus vulgaris, dermatitis herpetiformis, drug-induced lesions, urticaria, eosinophilic panniculitis, angioedema with eosinophilia, Kimura's disease, Shulman's syndrome, Well's syndrome, eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa, eosinophilic pustular folliculitis and recurrent cutaneous necrotizing eosinophilic vaculitis.
Pulmonary conditions	Drug/Toxin-induced eosinophilic lung disease, Loeffler's syndrome, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, eosinophilic pneumonia, Churg-Strauss syndrome, eosinophilic granuloma, pleural eosinophilia.
Gastrointestinal diseases	Gastroesophageal reflux, parasitic infections, fungal infections, Helicobacter pylori infections, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), food allergic disorders, protein-induced enteropathy and protein-induced enterocolitis, allergic colitis, celiac disease, primary eosinophilic esophagitis, gastroenteritis and colitis. Rare tumors (leiomyomatosis), connective tissue disorders and vasculitic disorders.
Neurologic disorders	Organizing chronic subdural hematoma membranes, central nervous system infections, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, drug-induced adverse reactions.
Rheumatologic illnesses	Eosinophilic synovitis, eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, vaculitic disorders such as the Churg-Strauss Syndrome.
Cardiac conditions	Heart damage has been reported secondary to systemic disorders such as the hypereosinophilic syndrome or the Churg-Strauss syndrome. Certain congenital heart conditions (septal defects, aortic stenosis) are associated with blood esoinophilia.
Renal diseases	Eosinophiluria (eosinophils in the urine) associated with infections or interstitial nephritis and eosinophilic cystitis.

This blog ends the section on some of the major blood tests.  For additional information good old Google will help.