Does Lymphocyte count show PA? - Pernicious Anaemi...

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Does Lymphocyte count show PA?

leahcim profile image
5 Replies

Im undiagnoised and trying to find the causes of my symptoms, iv had quite a few blood tests with my b12 and folate at the bottem range but last week my blood test results were all normal except for

Lymphocyte count 4.2 1.0 - 3.5

also my b12 folate and ferritin seem at the bottem of the range

B12 222 197.0 - 866.0 pg/ml

Folate 4.8 4.6 - 18.7 ng/ml

Ferritin 44 30.0 - 400.0 ng/ml

So does the lymphocyte count show PA ?

does PA cause low folate and ferritin as well?

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leahcim profile image
leahcim
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Laura5 profile image
Laura5

Increased lymphocyte count is called lymphocytosis. Usually just due to an infection I think - have you had a cold or flu recently?

I always have a low lymphocyte count.

leahcim profile image
leahcim in reply toLaura5

Nope :S i havent, thats why im confused

Laura5 profile image
Laura5 in reply toleahcim

I wouldn't worry about it after one test showed it raised. Next time you have a blood test get a full blood count and check that it has gone back down.

Sleepybunny profile image
Sleepybunny

"does PA cause low folate and ferritin as well?"

I have read that low ferritin and low folate can be associated with low B12 but not quite sure about the exact mechanism. I think good levels of iron and folate are needed for the B12 to be metabolised.

b12deficiency.info/what-are...

nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-v...

patient.info/doctor/folate-...

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

You need folate to process B12 so low folate will affect B12 levels.

When supplementation starts low folate levels can become a folate deficiency as the body uses up the folate it has processing B12 ... and then add to the B12 problem because it stops you using the B12 that you have received.

Frequent infections are one sign of B12 deficiency as being deficient affects the immune system. If the immune system is low then a lot of the things that are associated with things like colds - such as runny nose - don't actually get going so you could have had an infection but just not have observed it.

However, that is very different from being proof that you have a B12 deficiency from whatever cause (PA is one possibility).

On the ferritin - not sure if B12 has an effect - it is involved in maintaining the process by which the body produces new blood cells but whether this actually affects ferritin levels I really couldn't say. The usual form of anaemia caused by B12D is macrocytosis - where the cells become deformed - larger and flatter - with the result that they don't have as much surface area so aren't as efficient in absorbing and carrying oxygen round the body.

folate and B12 deficiencies can be the result of an absorption problem - and if there is something wrong it can affect a lot of other nutrients as well.

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