Cyclic neutropenia is a rare blood disorder that causes low levels of neutrophils, the body’s main white blood cells that fight infections. It can be triggered by an inherited disease or other conditions and is usually benign but can be serious. Treatment involves hormones like filgrastim.
Cyclic neutropenia is a rare form of neutropenia, or a blood disorder, that usually occurs at intervals of two weeks to one month. Each incidence period lasts from three to six days. Cyclic neutropenia is also known as cyclic neutropenia or cyclic hematopoiesis.
In general, neutropenia is a medical condition that occurs when the number of neutrophils is abnormally low. Neutrophils are the body’s most important group of white blood cells, or leukocytes, because they are the cells of the immune system that fight infectious disease. Neutrophils, which make up up to 75% of white blood cells, do this by destroying bacteria in the blood. Therefore, the reduced amount of neutrophils leads to a deficiency of the primary defense of the immune system and makes a person more susceptible to bacterial infections and general illnesses.
Cyclic neutropenia could be triggered by low bone marrow production, which can be traced to an inherited disease. This pertains to the neutrophil elastase mutation, usually abbreviated as ELA2 and also known as leukocyte elastase. This is an enzyme that contributes to the destruction of bacteria. In general, however, neutropenia has several possible causes. These include damaged or reduced bone shrinkage due to other conditions such as cancer or a manufacturing deficiency called aplastic anemia; destruction of neutrophils by certain drugs or autoimmune diseases; and viral infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
People with cyclic neutropenia usually find out about it by accident during a routine doctor checkup. Others find out after experiencing a severe infection with symptoms such as diarrhea, mouth sores, sore throat, or a burning sensation when urinating. Cyclic neutropenia is considered a rare form of the disease and is usually benign. Some people, however, have lost their lives to the infection because they made them more vulnerable to it.
Because cyclic neutropenia is typically inherited, it can be found in multiple members of the same family. Doctors determine the extent of the condition by dividing it into three categories based on an absolute neutrophil count (ANC). These consist of mild neutropenia, denoting minimal risk of bacterial infection; moderate neutropenia, which represents a moderate risk; and severe neutropenia, which is a serious risk. While there is no ideal treatment for cyclic neutropenia, doctors traditionally rely on granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF or GCSF) hormones such as filgrastim to combat it.
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