Atypical lymphocytes are larger than normal ones and indicate antigen stimulation or immune system activation due to infection, hormones, radiation, or other factors. Certain viruses, such as Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus, impair lymphocyte production. Atypical lymphocytes can help identify the source of infections, and some viruses that create them are transmitted through sex or bodily fluids. Disease control is possible by identifying these viruses through the presence of atypical lymphocytes in the blood.
The presence of an atypical lymphocyte, otherwise referred to as a reactive lymphocyte or atypical white blood cell, in the bloodstream is an indicator of antigen stimulation or activation of the immune system in the body. The atypical lymphocyte has more cytoplasm and therefore grows larger in size than a normal lymphocyte as a reaction to infection, hormone production, radiation, or other factors affecting the immune system. Certain pathogens that affect the presence of this type of lymphocyte in the blood will cause this altered cell to take on distinctive characteristics, such as changes in the shape of the nucleus and the amount or color of cytoplasm in the lymphocyte.
Although lymphocytes are always present in the bloodstream, interaction with immune system triggers is required to create an environment in which the abnormal lymphocyte is produced. The most common triggers for their production are viral diseases. Some of the viruses that impair lymphocyte production in the body are Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, syphilis, and hepatitis C. Eppstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus lymphocyte atypical structures are often called Downey cells in honor of Hal Downey, who discovered them in 1923.
A higher number of white blood cells and the presence of atypical lymphocyte cell structures in the bloodstream are indicative of infections. The shape, color, and size of lymphocytes can provide laboratory pathologists with an opportunity to identify the source of the infection. These distinguishing features are not always available, but some pathogens regularly cause the abnormal lymphocytes to form specific features. For this reason, laboratory pathologists must be well versed in these particular traits to help them identify the source of the infections.
For example, infectious mononucleosis produces an atypical lymphocyte that has more cytoplasm than normal white blood cells. In addition to being larger than typical lymphocytes, these cells also exhibit the presence of nucleoli. The crowding of surrounding red blood cells is the reason why lymphocytes produced by infectious mononucleosis often have a bruised shape in their cytoplasm.
In addition to modifying the structure of lymphocytes in the body, most viruses that can create an atypical lymphocyte are also transmitted through sex or the exchange of bodily fluids. These viruses, which have the ability to lie dormant for many years, are often first identified by the presence of atypical lymphocytes in the blood. The facilities used to identify these viruses make disease control possible in the face of outbreaks.
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