Eosinophils – Awakened from Their Sleeping Beauty Slumber?
- 3.5 Minutes to read
- Written by Axonlab
- General Practice
Small Cells with Growing Importance in Asthma and COPD
They are hard to miss in a blood smear: eosinophil granulocytes stand out because of their characteristic orange-red granules. In fact, they owe their name to the dye eosin, which stains these cellular components particularly well.
For a long time, eosinophils were primarily known in connection with allergies and certain parasitic infections. Today, it is becoming increasingly clear that this small subgroup of white blood cells can provide much more information. In particular, the number of eosinophils in the blood has gained importance as a biomarker in certain forms of asthma and COPD.
What Can Eosinophils Tell Us?
In some people with asthma, elevated eosinophil levels may indicate a specific type of inflammation known as type 2 inflammation. Together with other clinical information, the blood eosinophil count can help characterize the disease more precisely and support treatment decisions. This laboratory parameter is also becoming increasingly important in COPD and may provide additional insights for clinical assessment and treatment planning.
It is important to note that the eosinophil count should never be considered in isolation. Symptoms, disease history, acute deteriorations, and other clinical findings must always be taken into account.
A Value That Can Change
Eosinophils are not a static parameter. Their number in the blood can fluctuate over time and may be influenced by factors such as the time of day, current disease activity, or certain medications. Therefore, a single measurement does not always provide the complete picture.
Measuring Eosinophils Directly in the Practice
Today, determining eosinophil levels no longer necessarily requires a labor-intensive manual differential blood count or a large hematology analyzer in a central laboratory. Modern 5-part differential systems are now available as compact solutions for practices of various sizes. They differentiate between the various subgroups of white blood cells and provide eosinophil results within just a few minutes.
This saves valuable time: results are available within minutes, allowing findings and next steps to be discussed directly while the patient is still in the practice.