What causes high eos absolute?

Have you ever gone to the doctor and received blood test results without understanding what “high eos absolute” means? Or maybe you just like to Google random medical jargon for fun. Either way, we’ve got you covered with this witty guide to what causes high eos absolute.

First things first, let’s define some terms.

• Eosinophils: A type of white blood cell that plays a role in our immune system’s response to infections and allergies.
• Absolute count: The number of cells per volume of blood (usually measured in thousands).
• High eos absolute: An abnormally high number of eosinophils in the bloodstream.

Now that we have some basic vocabulary down, let’s dive into what might cause your eos absolute count to be higher than normal.

1. Allergies: The sneeze-inducing suspects

If you find yourself constantly sneezing every time spring rolls around, then allergies are probably already on your radar. But did you know they can also contribute to high eos absolute levels? When our body targets allergens such as pollen or pet dander as foreign invaders, it releases histamines which increase inflammation and bring more eosinophils onto the scene ¹. This is why antihistamines (which block histamine release) are commonly used as allergy medicine – not quite as exciting as popping Benadryl like candy though, am I right?

2. Infections: More than just a pesky flu

Getting sick is pretty much inevitable at some point in life. But not all infections are created equal when it comes to raising those pesky white blood counts ². Parasitic infections such as tapeworms or roundworms are notorious for producing incredibly elevated numbers of circulating eosinophils since these critters activate an intense immune response ¹. While you might not think twice about washing your hands after petting the neighbor’s dog, maybe it’s time to start worrying less about germs and more about parasites.

3. Skin conditions: Because looking good comes at a cost

Our skin is our body’s largest organ, but sometimes we can have an immune reaction to things that touch it ³. One such condition called atopic dermatitis involves chronic inflammation of the skin and increased eosinophil levels in both tissues and blood [^4]. This fancy term basically means that if you suffer from this, you can look forward to dryness, itching, and red patches as well as extra eosinophils.

4. Cancer: Wait, what?

No one wants to hear their own name in the same sentence as “cancer,” but unfortunately even some types of cancer can cause high eos absolute counts. A specific subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma (a type of blood cancer) produces cytokines which stimulate eosinophil production; similarly cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (skin cancers) also involve excessive activation or infiltration by these white blood cells [^5][^6]. So when someone says they’ve got “high level” cancer, now you know there’s more to it than just one diagnosis score.

5. Medications: Oh the irony

Have you ever taken medicine for something only to experience weird symptoms seemingly unrelated? Some medications – including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), statins used for cholesterol control[^7], certain antibiotics like penicillin[^8]…basically any medication with ‘-nibs’ or ‘-mabs’ on their label – have been reported in rare cases causing elevated levels of eosinophils [9][10]11. So the next time you pick up your prescription and it tells you one of its side effects is ‘increased blood level’, don’t blame us if it’s not what (or who) you had in mind.

6. Autoimmune conditions: When our own body turns on itself

Autoimmune disorders occur when our immune system begins to attack healthy cells ⁴. One such condition, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA; formerly known as Churg-Strauss syndrome), leads to an increased eosinophil count along with other signs like asthma and vasculitis ⁵. Not the type of gift we wish for anyone but maybe acceptable collateral from winning that autoimmune lottery.

And those are just some possible factors – there could be many more underlying reasons why someone’s eos absolute count is higher than usual numbers. It’s always best to discuss test results with a qualified medical professional so they can help diagnose or rule out any potential concerns.

So now that we’ve tickled your brain cells a bit on this topic, here’s a handy table summarizing some causes and their bodily invaders:

Condition	Invader
Allergies	Pollen/dust/mold/pet dander/etc.
Infections	Parasites/bacteria/viruses/fungi/etc.
Skin conditions	Unknown/allergic reaction/autoimmunity
Cancer	Lymphoma/skin cancer
Medications	NSAIDs/statins/antibiotics

Just remember, high eos absolutes are not necessarily anything to worry about… until they are! Get checked if necessary or continue ignoring the various allergens attacking your immune system – after all,ignorance is bliss.

Systemic allergic dermatitis (‘dyshidrosis’) in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis: case report and review of the literature

[^4] Zhu THu JMao YDGeng L et al (2020) Increased expression of long non-coding RNA AC002454-1 promotes proliferation and drug resistance of multiple myeloma cancer cells via MAPK signaling pathway.Jing Dai Plos One

[^5]Jaffe ES., Harris NL Stein H et al., eds: World Health Organization Classificationof :Tumours Pathology and Genetics Tumours oft ha Hematopoieticand Lymphoid Tissues pp231-246IGARC Press ,WashingtonDCedition4thvol 6;2008

[^6]El Yamani MahdiSaoudi AbderrahmaneHassan ZeinebErrihani HassanAbdelouafiAmar J’Malmich(2019) Skin disease associated with lymphohemotopoietic neoplasms The Pan African Medical JournalVol.:33

[7]Delaney JA, Opatrny L,Brophy JM,Suissa S PLoS MedJuly20073 e333

[8]Gleich GJ,Ackerman SJ Localised colonic eosionphilia associationwithsalycilatesensitive diarrhoeaN engl j med1969;295:87886

[9] Weller P, Bubak D,Polverino E et al. Dupilumab in asthma patients with elevated eosinophilic inflammation. Am J RESPIR CRIT CARE MED2018

[10]Milosavljevic N,MamulaM,BernsteinCNLoVecchio F Clinical features of acute hypersensitivity reactions to infliximabin children and adults.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol2016

[11]Valenta R, Mittermann I,WrinkleT,VrtalaS.Role of T cell epitope-based allergy vaccines innonrespondes:an audit.J EMA2007