If your doctor tests your urine and finds too many leukocytes, it could be a sign of infection. Leukocytes are white blood cells that help your body fight germs. When you have more of these than usual in your urine, it's often a sign of a problem somewhere in your urinary tract.
It is also possible to have leukocytes in urine and suffer symptoms of bacterial infection without such infection being demonstrated. This means that even if a patient has symptoms, no bacteria will be found in the sediment or culture. This phenomenon is called sterile leukocyturia.
Leukocyte esterase is a screening test used to detect a substance that suggests there are white blood cells in the urine. This may mean you have a urinary tract infection. If this test is positive, the urine should be examined under a microscope for white blood cells and other signs that point to an infection.
Most of the time, leukocytosis is a normal immune response caused by infection or inflammation. Sometimes, it's associated with stress, anxiety or pregnancy. In some cases, however, a high white blood cell count could mean something more serious. That's why it's important to talk to your healthcare provider.
An infection in your urinary tract is the most likely cause of leukocytes in your urine. Any time you have an infection, your immune system ramps up production of these cells to fight off the bacteria. More than half of women and about 1 in 5 men will get a UTI at some point in their lives.
False Positive Result. In some cases, leukocytes can be found in a urine sample without actually having a urinary tract infection, which may be due to an incorrect technique or bad hygiene when collecting the sample. This is highly suspected if there are no nitrites present in the urine at the time.
Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Bactrim DS)
Normal Results
The normal number of WBCs in the blood is 4,500 to 11,000 WBCs per microliter (4.5 to 11.0 × 109/L).
Treatment for leukocytes in the urine depends on the cause and if there is an infection. Antibiotic therapy will clear up the infection for some conditions, such as a bacterial UTI, relatively quickly.
A high white blood cell count usually means one of the following has increased the making of white blood cells: An infection. Reaction to a medicine. A bone marrow disease.
To lower your high white blood cell count, you should include the following in your diet: Vitamin C. Eating Vitamin C will help regulate the levels of white blood cells in your body. Fruits like lemons, oranges, and lime are rich in vitamin C, and so are papayas, berries, guavas, and pineapples.
An increase in the number of circulating leukocytes is rarely due to an increase in all five types of leukocytes. When this occurs, it is most often due to dehydration and hemoconcentration.
Though it varies between individuals, a high white blood cell count (leukocytosis) is usually considered to be anything above 11,000 cells per μl of blood in an adult.
Normal or not? Normally the total WBC count for an adult ranges from 5,000 to 10,000/mm 3. Leukocytosis (WBC > 10,000/mm 3) can indicate infection, inflammation (possibly from allergies), tissue damage or burns, dehydration, thyroid storm, leukemia, stress, or steroid use.
Pyuria is often a symptom of another condition, most commonly a urinary tract infection. A UTI is a common type of infection in your urinary tract. The bacterium E. coli is the most common cause of UTIs. Pyuria is a condition in which there are white blood cells or pus in your pee.
Leukocyte Esterase: Leukocyte esterase is an enzyme present in your white blood cells. Therefore, the presence of this substance in the urine indicates the presence of white blood cells (leukocyturia). White blood cells in the urine may indicate inflammation of the kidneys or urinary tract due to bacterial infection.
Lower urinary tract infections can quickly develop into kidney infections over a few hours to a few days. If your health care provider suspects a kidney infection, they will obtain a urine sample and order urine tests. Sometimes, they may order an imaging study such as a CT scan.
Positive leukocytes and negative nitrites means that only leukocytes were detected in your urine. Though it is normal to have a few white blood cells (WBCs) in your urine, testing positive for leukocytes means that you have a greater number of WBCs present.
Stress hormones can affect leukocyte migratory properties via diverse mechanisms. A recent publication provided the first evidence that catecholamines can induce the rearrangement of cellular cortical actin in human granulocytes, thereby decreasing cell stiffness and leading to leukocyte demargination (3).
Stress levels increase white blood cell count
This indicates a connection between elevated stress levels and the body's production of what are known as inflammatory leukocytes, a particular variety of white blood cell. Normally, inflammatory leukocytes are the body's defense system against infection and disease.
Leukocytosis is a high number of white blood cells. It can occur as a normal response to infections, injuries, and illness as the body is healing. In these situations, the symptoms can include a fever, chills, sweating, or fatigue, and will usually go away once the illness resolves.
Our bodies use materials from the protein we eat to make new WBCs. Some sources of quality protein are fish, eggs, poultry, beef, milk, Greek yogurt and beans. If your diet is poor, or you're having trouble eating, you can take a multivitamin or supplement with vitamin B12 and folate.
Total leukocyte count increases significantly in response to infection, trauma, inflammation, and certain diseases.
Simple bladder infections may go away on their own in about a week — even without antibiotics. If you don't have any symptoms of a kidney infection and you aren't pregnant or at high risk of developing complicated UTI, you may opt for a “wait-and-see” approach to antibiotic treatment.