When the peripheral blood neutrophil count goes below 1500 /mm/cube or totally nil, the condition is called neutrepenia or a granulocytopenia. This condition is associated with a number of primary disorders including congenital neutropenia (Kostmann’s syndrome), cyclic neutropenia, and myelokathexis or failure of release of neutrophils from the bone marrow.
Genetic defects in the progenitor cells results in neutropenia condition. Experimental evidence indicates that this genetic defect causes decrease in the production of granulocyte colony stimulating factors that in turn results in reduced or nil neutrophils.
In addition to genetic factors certain outside factors such as radiation and drugs also affect the proliferation of granulocytes.
Neutropenia is also common in several primary immune deficiencies, including X-linked hyper-IgM, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, and reticular dysgenesis. Acquired autoimmune and isoimmune neutropenia result from antibodies directed against neutrophils.
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Increased neutrophil destruction is also common in chronic splenomegaly and in certain autoimmune diseases such as Felty’s syndrome, lupus erythematosus etc.