Common reference items in normal adult blood tests are white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets, among which neutrophils and lymphocytes are the classification of white blood cells and are used for the initial determination of pathogenic infections.
A low percentage of neutrophils and a high percentage of lymphocytes are divided into two cases, one in which the number of lymphocytes increases and the absolute percentage rises, and the other in which the number of neutrophils decreases and the percentage of lymphocytes rises relatively.
An increased absolute number of lymphocytes is most often seen in viral infections, commonly in upper respiratory tract viral infections (rhinovirus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus), infectious mononucleosis (EBV), chickenpox (varicella zoster virus), mumps, rubella, epidemic hemorrhagic fever, tuberculosis, and brucellosis.
Relative increase in lymphocytes is seen in, for example, neoplastic diseases (leukemia, lymphoma), recovery from acute infectious diseases, after organ transplantation, radiotherapy, etc., where the number of neutrophils is significantly reduced, while the total number of lymphocytes remains unchanged and the ratio is relatively increased.
Therefore, when there is a low percentage of neutrophils and high lymphocytes in the blood routine, it is necessary to determine whether it is necessary to consult a doctor or take other treatments based on their clinical symptoms, and other test result indicators; this indicator alone cannot make a diagnosis to guide treatment.