eosinophilia

Eosinophilia is the state of having a high concentration of eosinophils (eosinophil granulocytes) in the blood. The normal concentration is between 0 and 0.5 x 10⁹ eosinophils per litre of blood. Eosinophilia can be reactive (in response to other stimuli such as allergy or infection) or non reactive.

The release of interleukin 5 by T cells, mast cells and macrophages stimulates the production of eosinophils.

Causes

Diseases that feature eosinophilia:

• Hypereosinophilic syndrome
• Parasitic infections (intestinal helminthiasis)
• Allergic disorders (including eosinophilic esophagitis)
• Some drug reactions, e.g. DRESS syndrome
• Cholesterol embolization
• Churg-Strauss syndrome
• Some forms of chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Gleich's syndrome
• Addison's disease
• Clonorchis sinensis, a type of flatworm
• Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome caused by contaminated tryptophan supplements
• Job's Syndrome caused by increased levels of Immunoglobulin E
• A form of Colitis, eosinophilic colitis

A useful mnemonic for remembering causes of eosinophilia is NAACCP: Neoplasia, Addison Disease, Allergy/Asthma, Collagen Vascular diseases, Cholesterol emboli, and parasites.

References

See also

• Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome