blood disorders
Monocyte Disorders
Introduction
Monocytes are a type of Overview of White Blood Cell Disorders that fight certain infections and help other white blood cells remove dead or damaged tissues, destroy cancer cells, and regulate immunity against foreign substances. Monocytes are produced in the bone marrow and then enter the blood, where they account for about 1 to 10% of the circulating white blood cells (200 to 600 monocytes per microliter of blood [0.2 to 0.6 × 109per liter]). After a few hours in the blood, monocytes migrate to tissues (such as spleen, liver, lungs, and bone marrow tissue), where they mature into macrophages. Macrophages are the main scavenger cells of the Components of the Immune System . Certain genetic abnormalities affect the function of monocytes and macrophages and cause buildup of fatty (lipid) debris within the cells. The resulting disorders are the lipid storage diseases (such as Low or high numbers of monocytes do not usually cause symptoms. However, people may have symptoms of the disorder that caused the change in monocyte number. Diagnosis is by blood testing (complete blood count) done when a person has signs or symptoms of an infection or autoimmune disorder. Sometimes the condition is discovered by chance when a complete blood count is done during a routine physical or for the evaluation of another condition. Treatment for monocyte disorders depends on the cause. 