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Leukopenia (or leukocytopenia, or leucopenia, from Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 ?e???-white and pe??a-deficiency) is a decrease in the number of circulating white blood cell
White blood cell

White blood cells , or leukocytes , are cell of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials....
s (leukocytes) in the blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
. As the principal function of white cells is to combat infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
, a decrease in the number of these cells can place patients at increased risk for infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
.

In pancytopenia
Pancytopenia

Pancytopenia is a medicine condition in which there is a reduction in the number of red blood cell and white blood cells, as well as platelets....
, the other cell types in the blood (red blood cell
Red blood cell

Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate body's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood....
s and platelet
Platelet

Platelets, or Thrombocyte, are small, irregularly shaped anuclear cells, 2-4?m in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes....
s) are similarly affected.

Neutropenia
Neutropenia

Neutropenia , from Latin language prefix neutro- and Greek language suffix -pe??a is a Hematology disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil....
 is a decrease in the number of circulating neutrophil granulocyte
Neutrophil granulocyte

Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of white blood cells in humans and form an essential part of the immune system....
s, the most abundant white blood cells.






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Leukopenia (or leukocytopenia, or leucopenia, from Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 ?e???-white and pe??a-deficiency) is a decrease in the number of circulating white blood cell
White blood cell

White blood cells , or leukocytes , are cell of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials....
s (leukocytes) in the blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
. As the principal function of white cells is to combat infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
, a decrease in the number of these cells can place patients at increased risk for infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
.

In pancytopenia
Pancytopenia

Pancytopenia is a medicine condition in which there is a reduction in the number of red blood cell and white blood cells, as well as platelets....
, the other cell types in the blood (red blood cell
Red blood cell

Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate body's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood....
s and platelet
Platelet

Platelets, or Thrombocyte, are small, irregularly shaped anuclear cells, 2-4?m in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes....
s) are similarly affected.

Neutropenia
Neutropenia

Neutropenia , from Latin language prefix neutro- and Greek language suffix -pe??a is a Hematology disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil....
 is a decrease in the number of circulating neutrophil granulocyte
Neutrophil granulocyte

Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of white blood cells in humans and form an essential part of the immune system....
s, the most abundant white blood cells. The terms leukopenia and neutropenia may occasionally be used interchangeably, as the neutrophil count is the most important indicator of infection risk. However, neutropenia is more properly considered a subset of leukopenia as a whole.

Causes

Low white cell counts are associated with chemotherapy
Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells, specifically those of micro-organisms or cancer....
, radiation therapy
Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the medicine use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer oncology to control malignant cell s . Radiotherapy may be used for curative or Adjuvant chemotherapy cancer treatment....
, leukemia
Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood Cell , usually white blood cells ....
 (as malignant cells overwhelm the bone marrow), myelofibrosis
Myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis, also known as myeloid metaplasia, chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis, and primary myelofibrosis, is a disorder of the bone marrow, in which the marrow undergoes fibrosis - replacement by fibrous tissue ....
 and aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cell s to replenish blood cells.The term 'aplastic' means the marrow suffers from an aplasia that renders it unable to function properly....
 (failure of white and red cell creation, along with poor platelet production). In addition, many common medication
Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease....
s can cause leukopenia (eg. minocyclen, a commonly prescribed antibiotic).

Other causes of low white blood cell count include: Influenza
Influenza

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease that affects birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the biological family Orthomyxoviridae ....
, systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic Autoimmunity connective tissue disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body?s cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage....
, Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin's disease is a type of lymphoma . It was named after Thomas Hodgkin, who first described abnormalities in the lymph system in 1832....
, some types of cancer
Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
, typhoid, malaria
Malaria

Malaria is a Vector -borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. It is widespread in Tropics and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa....
, tuberculosis
Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacterium, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, joints, and even the...
, dengue, Rickettsial infections
Rickettsia

Rickettsia is a genus of Motility, Gram-negative, Endospore, highly pleomorphic Bacterium that can present as cocci , rods or thread-like ....
, enlargement of the spleen
Spleen

The spleen is an organ found in all vertebrate animals. In humans, the spleen is located in the abdomen of the body, where it functions in the destruction of redundant red blood cells, and holds a reservoir of blood....
, folate deficiencies, psittacosis
Psittacosis

In medicine , psittacosis — also known as parrot disease, parrot fever, and ornithosis — is a zoonosis infectious diseases caused by a bacterium called Chlamydophila psittaci and contracted not only from parrots, such as macaws, cockatiels and budgerigars, but also from pigeons, sparrows, ducks, Chickens, gu...
 and sepsis
Sepsis

Sepsis, is a serious medicine condition characterized by a whole-body Inflammation state and the presence of a known or suspected infection.. Many other causes exist, such as a deficiency in certain minerals such as copper
Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
 and zinc
Zinc

Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....
.

Pseudoleukopenia can develop upon the onset of infection. The leukocytes (predominately Neutrophils, responding to injury first) are marginalized in the blood vessels so that they can scan for the site of infection. This means that even though there is increased WBC production, it will appear as though it is low from a blood sample, since the blood sample is of core blood and does not include the marginalized leukocytes.

There are also reports of Leukopenia caused by Depakote (Divalproex Sodium or Valproic Acid), a drug used for epilepsy (seizures), mania (with bipolar disorder) and migraine.

Diagnosis

Leukopenia can be identified with a complete blood count
Complete blood count

A complete blood count , also known as full blood count or full blood exam or blood panel, is a test requested by a physician or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patient's blood....
.

Medications causing leukopenia

Some medications can have an impact on the number and function of white blood cells. Medications which can cause leukopenia include clozapine
Clozapine

Clozapine is an antipsychotic and benzodiazepine medication used in the treatment of schizophrenia. The first of the atypical antipsychotics to be developed, it was first introduced in Europe in 1971, but was voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer in 1975 after it was shown to cause agranulocytosis that led to death in some patients....
, an antipsychotic
Antipsychotic

Antipsychotics are a group of psychoactive drugs commonly but not exclusively used to treat psychosis, which is typified by schizophrenia. Over time a wide range of antipsychotics have been developed....
 medication with a rare adverse effect leading to the total absence of all granulocytes (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils). Other medications include immunosuppressive
Immunosuppression

Immunosuppression involves an act that reduces the activation or efficacy of the immune system. Some portions of the immune system itself have immuno-suppressive effects on other parts of the immune system, and immunosuppression may occur as an adverse reaction to treatment of other conditions....
 drugs, such as sirolimus
Sirolimus

Sirolimus , also known as rapamycin, is an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent Transplant rejection in organ transplantation; it is especially useful in kidney transplants....
, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus
Tacrolimus

Tacrolimus is an immunosuppression medication whose main use is after allogenic organ transplant to reduce the activity of the patient's immune system and so the risk of organ Transplant rejection....
, and cyclosporine. Interferons used to treat multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelinating disease. Disease onset usually occurs in young adults, and it is more common in females....
, like Rebif, Avonex, and Betaseron, can also cause leukopenia. The antidepressant and smoking addiction treatment drug Wellbutrin (Bupropion HCL) can also cause leukopenia with long-term use.

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