Lymphocyte Typing
Lymphocyte typing, also called immune status or immunophenotyping, is a procedure that studies the formation of different surface proteins, mostly so-called CD markers (cluster of differentiation). Since these proteins differ in the different lymphocyte types, a so-called expression pattern of the surface proteins can be created by using artificially produced, color-marked antibodies. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the distribution of the different types, but also about the degree of differentiation of the cells. This method is therefore particularly suitable for the classification of leukemias, but is also used, for example, for monitoring HIV infections.
Lymphocytes in urine
The increased number of lymphocytes in the urine is called lymphocyturia, which occurs without an increase in the other defence cells and is particularly frequent in viral infections, lymphomas and in rejection reactions after kidney transplantation. In most cases, however, only the number of all leukocytes is considered in the context of the urine status, whereby a pathological cause would only be considered from a concentration of over 10/μl.Such leukocyturia is often associated with a urinary tract infection, but can also have other causes such as prostate inflammation, a rheumatic disease or even pregnancy. One speaks then of sterile leukocyturia, since no bacteria could be detected apart from the increased number of leukocytes.
Lymphocytes in CSF
The cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid in which our brain floats, is comparatively low in cells, although T-lymphocytes make up the majority of them. A concentration of 3/μl is normal here. In addition, monocytes, the precursor of macrophages (“giant scavenger cells”) are also found in isolated cases.
The presence of other blood cells is already considered pathological. If the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, which controls which substances may pass from the blood into the cerebrospinal fluid, remains intact, only these two cell types increase accordingly. This is the case, for example, with meningitis (inflammation of the meninges), borreliosis or syphilis, but also with infection-free diseases such as multitiple sclerosis or special brain tumors, as well as with certain brain injuries.
