QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE VARIATIONS IN NORMAL LEUKOCYTES

Abstract

Contributions to the field since the reviews of Garrey and Bryan (1936) for man and Cheng (1930) for rabbits are summarized. The material in recent articles has been based on studies which, in some instances were more accurate technically, due to the use of standardized apparatus and technic; the results have been treated by modern statistical methods; more important observations have been made on changes in the differential formula and on the maturity of the neutrophils as indicated by the shape of the nucleus. Furthermore, there has been a growing appreciation that under normal conditions, at short intervals, there is a spontaneous and irregular fluctuation of the total number of leukocytes and of the % of the different varieties of white corpuscles, which may easily be misinterpreted unless evaluated critically. Hence any changes in the leukocytes, especially when they are within the range of normal, or moderate in extent, should not be interpreted as due necessarily to any single or constant physiological or pathological influence, unless the trend is a uniform one in multiple expts. The authors consider observational variations, daily and hourly variations; the effect of activity, pregnancy, emotion, dietary changes, digestion, hot climate, hyper-pyrexia, meteorological alterations, and altitude; and pseudo-leukocytoses.