Leukopenia (from Greek λευκÏŒς (leukos) 'white', and πενία (penia) 'insufficiency') is a decline in the quantity of leukocytes. Found in the blood, they are the white platelets, and are the body's essential safeguard against contamination. Along these lines the state of leukopenia places people at expanded danger of contamination. Side effects may incorporate mouth or skin wounds, sore throat, hack, inconvenience breathing, feeling tipsy, fever, chills, or body hurts.

Neutropenia, a subtype of leukopenia, alludes to a decline in the quantity of flowing neutrophil granulocytes, the most bountiful white platelets. The terms leukopenia and neutropenia may periodically be utilized reciprocally, as the neutrophil tally is the main pointer of contamination hazard. This ought not be mistaken for agranulocytosis.

Causes

Low white cell tally might be because of intense viral contaminations, like a cold or flu. It has been related with chemotherapy, radiation treatment, myelofibrosis, aplastic paleness (disappointment of white cell, red cell and platelet creation), foundational microorganism relocate, bone marrow relocate, HIV, AIDS, and steroid use.

Different reasons for low white platelet tally incorporate foundational lupus erythematous, Hodgkin's lymphoma, a few kinds of malignant growth, typhoid, intestinal sickness, tuberculosis, dengue, rickettsia contaminations, broadening of the spleen, folate lacks, psittacosis, sepsis, Sjögren condition and Lyme illness. It has additionally been demonstrated to be brought about by insufficiency in specific minerals, like copper and zinc.

Pseudo leukopenia can create upon the beginning of contamination. The leukocytes (basically neutrophils, reacting to injury first) begin relocating toward the site of contamination, where they can be examined. Their movement makes bone marrow produce more WBCs to battle disease just as to reestablish the leukocytes available for use, yet as the blood test is taken upon the beginning of contamination, it contains low measure of WBCs, which is the reason it is named "pseudo leukopenia".

Certain medications can alter the number and function of white blood cells.

Medications

Medications that can cause leukopenia include clozapine, an antipsychotic medication with a rare adverse effect leading to the total absence of all granulocytes (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophil’s). The antidepressant and smoking addiction treatment drug bupropion HCl (Wellbutrin) can also cause leukopenia with long-term use. Minocycline, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, is another drug known to cause leukopenia. There are also reports of leukopenia caused by divalproex sodium or valproic acid (Depakote), a drug used for epilepsy (seizures), mania (with bipolar disorder) and migraine.

The anticonvulsant drug, lamotrigine, has been associated with a decrease in white blood cell count.

The FDA monograph for metronidazole states that this medication can also cause leukopenia, and the prescriber information suggests a complete blood count, including differential cell count, before and after, in particular, high-dose therapy.

Immunosuppressive drugs, such as sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, ciclosporin, leflunomide and TNF inhibitors, have leukopenia as a known complication.Interferons used to treat multiple sclerosis, such as interferon beta-1a and interferon beta-1b, can also cause leukopenia.

Chemotherapy targets cells that grow rapidly, such as tumors, but can also affect white blood cells, because they are characterized by bone marrow as rapid growing.[4] A common side effect of cancer treatment is neutropenia, the lowering of neutrophils (a specific type of white blood cell).

Decreased white blood cell count may be present in cases of arsenic toxicity.