Elevated blood platelets in the blood

As is known, human blood consists of two main components: plasma and shaped elements - erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets. Conducting a general blood test allows you to judge the health status of the quantitative content of blood cells and their components, diagnose many common pathologies. In particular, a signal about the problems in the body can serve as an increased content of platelets in the blood.

Platelet function and their norm in the blood

Platelets are small, denuclearized cells (blood plates), which are fragments of the cytoplasm of specific bone marrow cells - megakaryocytes. The formation of platelets occurs in the bone marrow, after which they enter the bloodstream.

These blood cells play a crucial role - provide blood clotting (together with some blood plasma proteins). Due to platelets, when the walls of the vessels are damaged, coagulation factors are released, so that the damaged vessel is clogged by a clot forming (clot). Thus, the bleeding stops and the body is protected from blood loss.

More recently, it has been established that platelets also participate in the regeneration of affected tissues, releasing so-called growth factors that stimulate cellular development.

Platelets live only 7 to 10 days, constantly updated. Therefore, the process of processing old platelets and the production of new ones is a constant process in the body of a healthy person. The normal content of platelets in a liter of adult blood varies between 180 - 320 × 109 cells. When the balance between the formation of new cells and the utilization of waste are disturbed, pathologies arise.

Elevated platelets in the blood - causes

The increased number of platelets in the blood causes an increase in thrombosis and clogging of blood vessels. This pathological condition is called thrombocytosis and is divided into two types - primary and secondary.

Primary thrombocytosis is associated with impaired functioning of bone marrow cells, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of blood platelets in the blood. A general analysis of the blood may show that the platelets are raised to 800 - 1200 × 109 cells / l and more. As a rule, primary thrombocytosis is diagnosed accidentally, because in most cases, pathology does not have obvious clinical manifestations. Only in some cases the following symptoms can be observed:

Elevated platelet levels in the blood with secondary thrombocytosis can be caused by both physiological and pathological factors. As a rule, with secondary thrombocytosis, the number of platelets is not more than 1000 × 109 cells / liter.

The physiological causes of an increased number of platelets in the blood may be:

Possible pathological factors that cause an increased platelet count in the blood are most often the following:

  1. Infectious and inflammatory diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites (hepatitis, pneumonia, meningitis, thrush, encephalitis, etc.).
  2. Internal bleeding.
  3. Surgical interventions and traumatic organ damage.
  4. Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease in which certain organs and systems (most often the lungs) are affected with the formation of granules (nodules) in them.
  5. Removal of the spleen - an organ that takes part in the disposal of old platelets, and which stores about 30% of the blood platelets.
  6. Significant tissue damage in pancreatitis or tissue necrosis.
  7. Iron deficiency in the body.
  8. Oncological diseases.
  9. Acceptance of some medications.