Infections can indeed cause the presence of myelocytes in the blood, a condition known as a left shift. Let me explain this in more detail.
When our body is infected with bacteria, our immune system responds by releasing white blood cells, specifically neutrophils, to fight off the infection. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in our body’s defense against bacterial pathogens.
Under normal circumstances, the majority of neutrophils circulating in the blood are mature and fully functional. However, during a bacterial infection, the demand for neutrophils increases significantly, leading to a depletion of mature neutrophils in the peripheral blood.
To compensate for this shortage, the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced, starts releasing immature neutrophils into the bloodstream. These immature neutrophils include myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and band neutrophils, collectively known as the left shift.
Myelocytes are the earliest stage of neutrophil development in the bone marrow. They are larger and have more granules in their cytoplasm compared to mature neutrophils. Metamyelocytes are the next stage of development, and band neutrophils are even more immature. These cells are less efficient in their ability to fight off infections compared to mature neutrophils.
The presence of myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and band neutrophils in the blood indicates that the bone marrow is working overtime to produce more neutrophils to combat the infection. This left shift is a characteristic feature seen in bacterial infections. It is often observed in the complete blood count (CBC) test, which is a common blood test used to evaluate various aspects of our blood, including the differential count of different types of white blood cells.
During a bacterial infection, the demand for neutrophils increases, leading to a depletion of mature neutrophils in the peripheral blood. As a compensatory mechanism, the bone marrow releases immature neutrophils, including myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and band neutrophils, resulting in a left shift. This left shift can be observed in the CBC test and is indicative of an ongoing bacterial infection.