White blood cell count

The white blood cell count is a vital indicator of the health of the immune system and the general state of the body. It is influenced by a combination of intrinsic, extrinsic and genetic factors. Understanding how these factors interact to regulate white blood cell count is essential for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of various diseases, as well as for the development of personalized therapeutic interventions.

The white blood cell (WBC) count is a crucial indicator of the health of the immune system and the body's ability to fight infection. White blood cells play a critical role in the body's defense against pathogens, elimination of damaged cells and inflammatory response. An adequate white blood cell count is essential for maintaining homeostasis and the overall health of the individual.

The white blood cell count is a standard measurement in routine blood tests and can reveal important information about the status of the immune system. An elevated white blood cell count, known as leukocytosis, can indicate the presence of infection, inflammation, stress, leukemia or other hematologic diseases. On the other hand, a low white blood cell count, called leukopenia, may indicate viral infections, autoimmune disorders, radiation exposure, chemotherapy or nutritional deficiencies. Assessing the white blood cell count helps physicians diagnose and monitor various medical conditions, as well as adjust treatments appropriately.

The white blood cell count is influenced by several factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic factors include the individual's age, sex and general health. For example, newborns tend to have higher white blood cell counts compared to adults, and women may experience fluctuations in their white blood cell counts due to hormonal changes. Extrinsic factors include infections, physical and emotional stress, medications, diet, and exposure to toxins. Bacterial infections tend to increase neutrophil counts, while viral infections can raise lymphocyte levels. Intense exercise and emotional stress can also temporarily affect white blood cell counts.

Number of observed variants

13.5 million variants

Number of risk loci

1026 loci

Genes analyzed

FCER2 TRIB2 FCGR2B TRIL FCHO1 TRIM24 TRIM32 TRIM58 TRPC6 TRPM7 TSC22D2 TSPAN15 TSPO TTC28 TTC39C TULP1 TXNDC11 UBALD2 UBAP2 UBASH3B UBE2E3 UBE2F UBE2H UBE2I UBR2 UGCG UPP1 URAD USP34 VAT1 VCAM1 VEGFA VKORC1L1 VLDLR VPS8 VSIR VSTM4 VWA2 WAC WAPL WASHC2C WDR26 WDR5 WWOX YAP1 YOD1 YPEL2 ZBTB16 ZBTB2 ZBTB7A ZBTB9 ZC2HC1A ZC3H12A ZC3HAV1L ZC3HC1 ZCCHC2 ZEB2 ZFP36L1 ZFP36L2 ZFPM1 ZFPM2 ZMIZ2 ZNF281 ZNF282 ZNF316 FCN1 FEM1C FER FES FGB FGD3 FGFBP3 FHIP1A FHL2 FIP1L1 FKBP15 FLNB FLT3 FLT4 FMNL2 FN1 FNBP1L FNDC3A FOLH1 FOXP1 FRAT1 FRMD8 FUT7 FZD8 G6PC2 GAB1 GABRA1 GADD45A GALK1 GATA2 GC GCKR GCNT2 GDPD1 GGT5 GIMAP4 GIPC1 GJA1 GJA4 GLCCI1 GLG1 GLIS2 GLIS3 GM2A GMEB2 GNAT3 GPAM GPBAR1 GPR17 GPR21 GPRIN3 GRAMD1A GSDMB GSDMC GSDMD GSE1 GSG1L GSK3B GSTT2B GTF2A1 GTF2H3 GTF3C5 GUCY1B1 GYPA H2AC12 HAMP HAS1 HBS1L HDAC7 HDAC9 HIC1 HKDC1 HLX HMGA2 HNF4A HOXA5 HOXC5 HSD17B13 HSD17B4 HSF2 HSPB9 HTR4 HTR6 HTRA4 HTT HUS1B ICAM4 ID2 IFI44 IFITM1 IFT52 IGDCC4 IGF2BP3 IKZF1 IKZF2 IL12B IL17RA IL1B IL1F10 IL1R2 IL20RB IL21R IL26 IL2RA IL3 IL4 IL6 IL7R ILRUN IMPDH2 INPP5E IP6K3 IPPK IQGAP1 IRF2BP2 IRF4 IRF8 IRS1 ITCH ITGA4 ZNF423 ZNF440 ZNF516 ZNF629 ZNF644 ZNF648 ZNF655 ZNF664 ZNF777 ZSCAN12 ITGAL ITGB8 ITPK1 ITPR2 JADE2 JAG1 JAK1 JAK2 JAML JAZF1 JCAD KANK2 KANK3 KANSL2 KAT6A KAT6B KCNRG KDM4B KDM6B KDR KHNYN KIAA1614 KIAA1755 KIF1B KIT KITLG KLF12 KLF14 KLF2 KLF3 KLF4 KLF5 KLF6 KLF9 KLLN KMT2E KMT5A KRI1 L3MBTL2 L3MBTL3 LAMP1 LAPTM5 LBH LCTL LEMD2 LEPR LGMN LIF LIMCH1 LIN28B LLPH LMCD1 LNPEP LPAR1 LRATD2 LRRC25 LRSAM1 LSG1 LSM3 LSM4 LSP1 LTO1 LY9 LYN LYRM7 LYST LYZ MACROH2A1 MAF MAFB MANBA MAP2K2 MAP3K5 MAPK4 MARCHF7 MARK3 MATN1 MAX MBD2 MBNL1 MBOAT1 MCM10 MCTP2 MDFIC2 MDM2 MEAK7 MECOM MEF2D MEIS1 MET METRNL MFSD2A MGAT3 MIB1 MICAL2 MIXL1 MKLN1 MKRN2OS MLLT1 MLXIPL MPDZ MPO MPPED2 MPZL3 MRPS10 MRPS17 MRPS18A MS4A3 MSI2 MUTYH MXRA7 MYB MYBPC3 MYC MYCT1 MYO1G MYO1H NABP1 NAMPT NANOS3 AAMP ABCB1 ABCC5 ABL1 ABO ACADS ACAP1 ACKR1 ACKR4 ACOXL ACVRL1 ADAM33 ADAMTS9 ADAMTSL4 ADCY5 ADGRE5 ADGRF5 ADGRG6 ADNP2 ADO ADRA1B ADRB1 ADRB2 ADTRP AGBL5 AGFG1 AHI1 AK3 NAP1L4 NCLN NCOR1 NDFIP1 NDST1 NEK10 NEK6 NFKB1 NFKBIA NINJ2 NKG7 NKX2-3 NLRC5 NLRP3 NOC3L NOD1 NOSTRIN NPAS1 NR3C1 NRIP1 NUCB2 NUDT14 NUFIP2 NUP88 OAZ1 OCIAD1 OR10Z1 OR1D5 OR2B11 OR2B8P OR4C45 OR5AS1 OSBPL1A OXR1 P2RY14 P2RY2 P4HA2 PAK2 PAM PARP12 PARP8 PAWR PCBP1 PCGF3 PCLAF PDE3A PDE4A PDE4B PDE7A PDGFC PDIA3 PDIA5 PDLIM2 PDLIM4 PDYN PGS1 PHF11 PHF19 PHLDB1 PIK3R3 PINX1 PKD1 PKIA PKN3 PLA2R1 PLCB1 PLCB2 PLCB4 PLCG2 PLEK PLEKHA6 PLEKHG7 PLK2 PLPP1 PLPP3 PLPP6 PMAIP1 PML PNMA1 PNPLA3 POLR2E PPARG PPCDC PPP2R3C PPP2R5A PPP5C PRAG1 PRDM15 PREX1 PREX2 PRKAB1 PRKCE PRL PRMT8 PROX1 PRPSAP1 PRSS55 PRTFDC1 PRUNE2 PSD4 PSKH2 PSMB7 PSMC3IP PSMD3 PSMG1 PSTPIP1 PTCH1 PTK2B PTMA PTP4A3 PTPN1 PTPRA PTPRB PTPRC PTPRJ PTRH2 PTTG1IP PTTG2 PVR PXYLP1 AKAP10 AKAP11 AKAP13 AKT1 ALDH1A2 ALDH8A1 AMPD1 AMZ1 ANAPC1 ANKRD16 ANTXR2 AP3D1 APBB1IP APOA1 APOBEC3H APOBR APOLD1 ARHGAP15 ARHGAP23 ARHGAP42 ARHGAP45 ARHGEF12 ARHGEF25 ARID1A ARID1B ARRB2 ARVCF ATF6 ATF7-NPFF ATG14 ATP13A1 ATP1B3 ATP2B1 ATP2B4 ATP6V1G3 ATXN1 ATXN10 ATXN7 AUH AXL AZIN1 BACH1 BACH2 BAK1 BATF BAX BBC3 BBX BCL2 BCL2A1 BCL2L11 BCL2L13 BCL2L2 BDNF BDP1 BEND7 BHLHE41 BID BIN1 BIN2 BLID BLK BMP2 BMP2K BMP6 BNC2 BOD1 BRD3OS BRI3 BTN3A1 BTN3A2 C10orf105 C11orf21 C11orf54 C11orf65 C16orf96 C18orf25 C1orf100 C2orf68 C3AR1 C5orf34 C9orf152 CABLES1 CADM4 CALCRL CALD1 CALML5 CAPZA1 CARMIL2 CASP8 CASZ1 CBS CBX4 CBX7 CBY3 CCDC12 CCDC125 CCDC71L CCDC9 CCND1 CCND2 CCNL1 CD101 CD164 CD226 CD300A CD300LF CD300LG CD302 CD33 CD46 CD69 CD7 CD82 CDC37 CDC5L CDCA7L CDK6 CDKAL1 CDKN1A RAB21 RAB2A RABGAP1L RAI14 RALGAPA1 RANGRF RAP1GAP2 RAPGEFL1 RASA2 RASA3 RASSF10 RASSF3 RASSF5 RBBP5 RBBP8 RBM38 RBMS1 RBP4 RBPJ RBPMS RCSD1 REEP3 RERE REST RFPL4B RFTN2 RGS10 RHOF RIMBP3C RIN3 RMC1 RMI1 RNF141 RNF185 RNF19A RP1 RPAP2 RPL31 RPL32 RPLP1 RPN1 RPS6KA1 RPUSD4 RRAGC RREB1 RRP12 RSBN1 RUNX1 S1PR1 S1PR2 S1PR3 S1PR4 SAMD5 SATB1 SCAF11 SCNN1A SCPEP1 SCUBE3 SEC61B SELE SEMA4A SERTAD1 SETBP1 SF3B5 SFN SFXN2 SFXN4 SH2B3 SH2D4B SH3TC2 SHB SHCBP1L SIRPB1 SKOR1 SLC12A2 SLC12A7 SLC22A5 SLC23A3 SLC25A24 SLC27A2 SLC29A3 SLC2A1 SLC2A13 SLC2A5 SLC2A9 SLC35D1 SLC35G6 SLC39A12 SLC39A9 EXOC3L2 FABP2 FADS2 FAM102A CDKN2A CDKN2B CDT1 CEBPB CEBPG CELA3A CENPW CERS5 CES4A CFAP97D2 CH25H CHD7 CHD9 CHSY1 CHSY3 CIC CITED4 CLEC12A CLEC4M CLIC6 CLRN1 CLVS1 CMIP CNN2 CNTNAP2 COL4A2 COLGALT1 COPS4 COPS8 COQ8A CORO6 COX6C CPEB4 CPS1 CREBBP CRK CRYGS CSF1 CSF2 CSF3 CSF3R CSGALNACT1 CTAGE1 CX3CR1 CXCL1 CXCL12 CXCL2 CXCL6 CXCR1 CYP8B1 CYRIA CYRIB DAB2 DCLK2 DCP1B DEFA5 DENND2B DENND3 DGCR6 DGKD DGKG DGKI DHRS12 DIAPH1 DIP2A DLEU7 DLG5 DLK1 DNAJB5 DNAJB8 DNAJC12 DNMT1 DNMT3A DOCK10 DOCK8 DOCK9 DOK2 DPP4 DRAM2 DTHD1 DUSP12 DUSP14 DYRK1A DYSF E2F2 E2F8 EBF1 EBLN1 EDN2 EDNRA EDNRB EEPD1 EGF EHD3 EHD4 EIF2AK2 EIF3B EIF4E2 ENAH ENSA EOMES EPB41L2 EPS15L1 ERG ETS1 ETV1 ETV5 ETV6 EWSR1 EXD1 SLC45A1 SLC45A4 SLC9A3R1 SLFN13 SLMAP SMAD7 SMAD9 SMG7 SMG9 SMIM38 SMIM8 SMNDC1 SMOX SNCG SNRPF SNX11 SNX13 SNX2 FAM117B FAM120B FAM133B FAM13A FAM167A FAM174A FAM228A FAM53B FANCA SNX32 SOX11 SOX4 SOX5 SPATA32 SPHK2 SPIC SPPL2A SPRED2 FAP FBLN7 FBXL18 FBXO38 FCER1G SPTBN1 STON1 STRADA STX12 STXBP6 STYXL1 SUFU SUPT3H SWAP70 SYCE1L SYK SYNCRIP TADA1 TAF8 TAGAP TARP TASOR TBC1D10C TBC1D12 TBC1D14 TBX3 TCEA2 TCF4 TENT4B TERT TET2 TEX15 TEX2 TFCP2 TFEB TGIF1 TGOLN2 THAP12 THEMIS2 TIGAR TIMD4 TIMM50 TLE3 TLE4 TLN2 TM2D1 TMC3 TMCO3 TMED8 TMEM11 TMEM121B TMEM150C TMEM151B TMEM156 TMEM181 TMEM235 TNFAIP3 TNFAIP8 TNFRSF10C TNFRSF13B TNFRSF1A TNFSF13B TNFSF14 TNKS TNS3 TOMM40 TOX2 TPH1 TPM2 TPSG1 TPST1 TRAM2 TRAP1 TREML2 TRIB1 SREBF1 ST20-MTHFS ST3GAL6 STAC3 STARD4 STK25

Bibliography

Chen M.H., Raffield L.M., et al. Trans-ethnic and Ancestry-Specific Blood-Cell Genetics in 746,667 Individuals from 5 Global Populations. Cell, 01 Sep 2020, 182(5):1198-1213.e14.

Mosley J.D, Shelley J.P., et al. Clinical consequences of a polygenic predisposition to benign lower white blood cell counts. Version 1. medRxiv. Preprint. 2023 Aug 21.

Crosslin D.R., McDavid A., et al. Genetic variants associated with the white blood cell count in 13,923 subjects in the eMERGE Network. Hum Genet. 2012 Apr;131(4):639-52.

Bibliography

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