What your lymphocyte lab values mean
Have you received your lymphocyte lab result? Is your value too high or too low? Discuss your lab results directly with an online doctor via TeleClinic. The costs are covered by all health insurance companies and insurers.
Has your doctor given you your lymphocyte lab results? Here you can find out what deviations may indicate.
Lymphocyte laboratory values that are too high or too low can have numerous causes. This begins with certain medications and treatment methods such as radiotherapy and ends with serious diseases such as leukemia and AIDS.
Abstract
- Lymphocytes are part of the white blood cells.
- These include B cells, T cells and NK cells.
- As part of the immune system, they recognize and fight pathogens.
What are lymphocytes?
The white blood cells(leukocytes) consist of various components. Around 25-40 percent of white blood cells are lymphocytes. They are formed by the bone marrow and are part of the adaptive immune system. This means that they first have to learn to distinguish between the body’s own “good” substances and “bad” foreign substances.
Lymphocytes are divided into three large groups:
- T-cells
- B cells
- NK cells (natural killer cells)
Normal values for lymphocytes
Medicine distinguishes between two different options for laboratory values:
- The percentage (relative value) of white blood cells
- The absolute value (number of lymphocytes per nanoliter)
| Age | Relative value | Absolute value |
|---|---|---|
| < 2 years | 40-70 % | 2 – 17 /nl |
| 2-5 years | 20-70 % | 1.7 – 5.9 /nl |
| 6-16 years | 20-50 % | 1 – 5.3 /nl |
| From 17 | 20-45 % | 1 – 3.6 /nl |
If the laboratory values of the lymphocytes are elevated, lymphocytosis is present. If the values are too low, medicine speaks of lymphopenia.
Causes of low laboratory values
A lack of lymphocytes can have various causes, including
- Stressful situations
- Therapy with corticoids (cortisone), radiotherapy and chemotherapy (cytostatics)
- Hodgkin’s disease (malignant bone marrow changes)
- Measles
- Yellow fever
- HIV infections/AIDS
- Influenza virus N1N1
- Lupus erythematosus
Causes of high laboratory values
Lymphocytosis is called lymphocytosis and occurs primarily with viral and bacterial infections, as the body then mobilizes its entire immune system to fight the pathogens. Possible infections are
- Mumps
- Measles
- Whooping cough
- Tuberculosis
- Syphilis
In addition, diseases not caused by pathogens can lead to an increased lymphocyte count:
- Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
- Vascular inflammation (vasculitis)
- Serum sickness (severe allergic reaction of the immune system)
- Hormonal disorders (Addison’s disease, hyperthyroidism)
In addition, an elevated laboratory value may indicate acute or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This form of leukemia is caused by malignant lymphocytes that have degenerated.
What treatment options are available?
As high or low laboratory values for lymphocytes are always part of a clinical picture, the doctor will treat the underlying disease. If the low values were caused by medication such as cytostatics or cortisol, the doctor will prescribe an alternative if possible.
Sources
- https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/127349/Die-bunte-Palette-der-Lymphozyten
- https://www.kompetenznetz-leukaemie.de/content/patienten/leukaemien/all/
- https://www.kinderkrebsinfo.de/erkrankungen/lymphome/pohpatinfomh120060715/allgemeine_informationen/aufbau_und_funktion_des_lymphatischen_systems/lymphozyten/index_ger.html
- https://www.netdoktor.de/laborwerte/lymphozyten/#:~:text=Lymphozyten%20sind%20eine%20Untergruppe%20der,dem%20Thymus%20und%20dem%20Knochenmark.
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- Zuletzt aktualisiert: 28. May 2026
