Immune disorders causing a high white blood cell count (leukocytosis) often involve the immune system overreacting or malfunctioning, like autoimmune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, IBD) due to chronic inflammation, severe allergic reactions, and certain cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma that disrupt normal cell production, alongside common triggers like infections, stress, burns, and medications (steroids).
Some autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis may cause an elevated white blood cell count.
A high white blood cell count usually means one of the following has increased the making of white blood cells:
When your child has too many white blood cells, it's called leukocytosis. Leukocytosis may be a sign of an infection, inflammation or another everyday medical issue. In other cases, it may be due to an immune disorder or blood disease.
Pregnancy-related stress—such as hormonal shifts, weight gain, and the demands on your organs—can cause a spike in WBCs. Labor, in particular, is a high-stress event, often resulting in a temporary jump in white blood cells. Inflammation is a natural part of pregnancy.
The mean WBC count increased with increasing severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety among men. Male participants with severe depression had significantly higher values of RDW (p < 0.001); however, this relationship was less marked among women (p = 0.004).
A white blood cell count that's higher than usual most commonly is due to an infection or inflammation. Or it could point to an immune system disorder or a bone marrow disease. A high white blood cell count also can be a reaction to medicines or hard exercise.
Symptoms of childhood leukemia
At the time of diagnosis, patients can have very, very high white blood cell counts. Typically a healthy person has a white blood cell count of about 4,000-11,000. Patients with acute or even chronic leukemia may come in with a white blood cell count up into the 100,000-400,000 range.
“Typically, in bacterial infections we will see an increase in the white blood cell count (leukocytosis) whereas in viral infections there will be a decrease (leukopenia). Blood test results are considered along with the patient's symptoms and symptom severity to make a diagnosis.”
Disorders related to having a high white blood count include: Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, conditions that cause the immune system to attack healthy tissues. Bacterial or viral infections. Cancers such as leukemia and Hodgkin disease.
Common leukemia symptoms may include:
Leukapheresis is a procedure used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or patients with very high white blood cell counts. During leukapheresis, your blood passes through a machine that takes out the white blood cells and returns all the other blood cells and plasma back into the bloodstream.
No single blood test can diagnose all autoimmune diseases. High CRP and ESR levels suggest inflammation, which can be a sign of an autoimmune disease. A positive ANA test may indicate lupus but doesn't always mean you have an autoimmune disease.
Other high white blood cell count causes may include: Excessive physical or emotional stress (such as fever, injury or surgery). Burns. Immune system disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
The top 5 worst autoimmune diseases are giant cell myocarditis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. These diseases can cause a lot of harm and even death if not managed well.
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:
Having stage IV disease. Having a high white blood cell count (15,000 or higher). Having a low lymphocyte count (below 600 or less than 8% of the white blood cell count).
Stage 1 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 2 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic. He or she may also have enlarged lymph nodes.
Early signs and symptoms of lymphoma
Most of the remaining cases are acute myeloid leukemia (AML). ALL is most common in early childhood, peaking between ages 2 and 5 years. ALL is slightly more common among Hispanic and White children than among African American and Asian American children, and it is more common in boys than in girls.
Leukemia is commonly misdiagnosed as the following conditions:
Blood tests are very common. They are ordered by doctors to: Find out how well organs, such as your kidneys, liver, heart, or thyroid, are working. Help diagnose diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS.
A high white blood cell count alone doesn't cause any symptoms. The symptoms you feel may come from the medical problem that your white blood cells are fighting. For example, if you have pneumonia, you may have a fever and trouble breathing. These are symptoms of pneumonia, not of a high white blood cell count.
Blood samples check for several things. These include the levels of electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, and how well the kidneys are working. Urinalysis. Tests done on your urine can help show whether you're dehydrated and how much.