The normal count of basophils in the blood is age-dependent:
Adults: 20 - 200 /µl (microliter)
Children from 5 to 18 years old: 10 - 300 /µl (microliter)
Children from 1 to 5 years old: 5 - 300 /µl (microliter)
Newborns up to 1 month old: 0 - 600 /µl (microliter)
Each laboratory must establish its own normal ranges for the basophil count in the blood. These ranges depend on the makeup of the local population, the technologies used and the accuracy of the measurement. There may be also slight differences in the normal levels, according to age, gender, race or ethnic origin, geographic region, diet, type of sample and other relevant status.
Your doctor will study the results along with your medical record, screenings, physical condition, symptoms and any other relevant information about your situation.
In addition, the normal basophil count is lowest in the morning and peaks at night.
Basophils are a type of leukocyte or WBC (White Blood Cells). They are part of the immune system.
Basophils have two main roles in the immune system:
Along eosinophils, the basophils play an essential role in the immune response to parasitic infections and in allergies.
Basophils are produced in the bone marrow. Once in the bloodstream they travel to the tissues (skin, mucosa, etc.) in response to inflammatory or infectious processes.
Basophil counts are used to study chronic inflammation. There is a positive correlation between high basophil counts and high concentrations of blood histamines, although this correlation does not imply cause and effect.
A basophil count above the normal range may be a sign of suffering from an infection (chickenpox, smallpox, etc.), inflammation (ulcerative colitis) or caused by allergic reaction to some foods.
Leukemia and other pathologic alterations in bone marrow production (chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera or myelofibrosis, etc.) may also give rise to an increase in basophils.
It is extremely difficult to diagnose a low basophil count in the blood, called basopenia, because electronic counters may not detect any basophil in the blood sample. For that reason, a basophil count near zero may be considered in the normal range if it is measured with some types of electronic counters.
Corticosteroids, allergic reactions with hives, and acute infections all may lower the basophil count.
The basophil count test is also interesting to detect thyroid gland disorders. In case of hyperthyroidism, basophil count is below the normal range and in case of hypothyroidism, basophil count is above the normal count.
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The following values are considered to be normal values:
IMPORTANT: These levels are expressed in number /µl (microliter). They are an example of a healthy white man/woman of about 45 years old with no known disease and not taking any medication. The ranges can be different depending on the laboratory or on your personal circumstances.
Basophils | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normality | |||||||
| 20 /µl | 21 /µl | 22 /µl | 23 /µl | 24 /µl | 25 /µl | 26 /µl | 27 /µl |
| 28 /µl | 29 /µl | 30 /µl | 31 /µl | 32 /µl | 33 /µl | 34 /µl | 35 /µl |
| 36 /µl | 37 /µl | 38 /µl | 39 /µl | 40 /µl | 41 /µl | 42 /µl | 43 /µl |
| 44 /µl | 45 /µl | 46 /µl | 47 /µl | 48 /µl | 49 /µl | 50 /µl | 51 /µl |
| 52 /µl | 53 /µl | 54 /µl | 55 /µl | 56 /µl | 57 /µl | 58 /µl | 59 /µl |
| 60 /µl | 61 /µl | 62 /µl | 63 /µl | 64 /µl | 65 /µl | 66 /µl | 67 /µl |
| 68 /µl | 69 /µl | 70 /µl | 71 /µl | 72 /µl | 73 /µl | 74 /µl | 75 /µl |
| 76 /µl | 77 /µl | 78 /µl | 79 /µl | 80 /µl | 81 /µl | 82 /µl | 83 /µl |
| 84 /µl | 85 /µl | 86 /µl | 87 /µl | 88 /µl | 89 /µl | 90 /µl | 91 /µl |
| 92 /µl | 93 /µl | 94 /µl | 95 /µl | 96 /µl | 97 /µl | 98 /µl | 99 /µl |
| 100 /µl | 101 /µl | 102 /µl | 103 /µl | 104 /µl | 105 /µl | 106 /µl | 107 /µl |
| 108 /µl | 109 /µl | 110 /µl | 111 /µl | 112 /µl | 113 /µl | 114 /µl | 115 /µl |
| 116 /µl | 117 /µl | 118 /µl | 119 /µl | 120 /µl | 121 /µl | 122 /µl | 123 /µl |
| 124 /µl | 125 /µl | 126 /µl | 127 /µl | 128 /µl | 129 /µl | 130 /µl | 131 /µl |
| 132 /µl | 133 /µl | 134 /µl | 135 /µl | 136 /µl | 137 /µl | 138 /µl | 139 /µl |
| 140 /µl | 141 /µl | 142 /µl | 143 /µl | 144 /µl | 145 /µl | 146 /µl | 147 /µl |
| 148 /µl | 149 /µl | 150 /µl | 151 /µl | 152 /µl | 153 /µl | 154 /µl | 155 /µl |
| 156 /µl | 157 /µl | 158 /µl | 159 /µl | 160 /µl | 161 /µl | 162 /µl | 163 /µl |
| 164 /µl | 165 /µl | 166 /µl | 167 /µl | 168 /µl | 169 /µl | 170 /µl | 171 /µl |
| 172 /µl | 173 /µl | 174 /µl | 175 /µl | 176 /µl | 177 /µl | 178 /µl | 179 /µl |
| 180 /µl | 181 /µl | 182 /µl | 183 /µl | 184 /µl | 185 /µl | 186 /µl | 187 /µl |
| 188 /µl | 189 /µl | 190 /µl | 191 /µl | 192 /µl | 193 /µl | 194 /µl | 195 /µl |
| 196 /µl | 197 /µl | 198 /µl | 199 /µl | 200 /µl | |||
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