Like the security system that protects a house, the bone marrow produces white blood cells to protect the body against bacterial or fungal invaders. The Mayo Clinic says these white blood cells must a reach a specific quantitative low of 3,500 white blood cells per microliter of blood. People with this low white blood cell count are susceptible to numerous and potentially life-threatening infections. Certain diseases lead to low white blood cell levels.
Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer that typically begins affecting the white blood cells. As the disease progresses, it begins to affect the bone marrow and lymph vessels (blood vessel-like vessels that carry white blood cells).
Leukemia symptoms include a poor appetite, chills, frequent infections, bone pain or tenderness, poor appetite and weight loss. Other symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fevers, chills, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding and red spots on the skin (petechiae).
Various types of therapies are available to treat leukemia. Chemotherapy involves a single drug or combination of drugs utilized to eliminate cancerous cells. Biological therapy serves to boost the immune system and allow immune cells to destroy the cancer cells. Radiation and bone marrow or stem cell transplants are other leukemia treatments. Radiation involves focused energy waves that are used to destroy leukemia cells. A bone marrow transplant involves removing the cancerous one and replacing it with a healthy bone marrow. A stem cell transplant involves replacing old blood cells with new blood cells.
Aplastic Anemia
The bone marrow is the powerhouse of blood cell production. In aplastic anemia, the bone marrow does not function. Specifically, it stops making red and white cells and platelets. Oxygen tethers onto red blood cells and reduced amounts lead to shortness of breath and fatigue. White blood cells fight infection so reduced levels lead to frequent infections. Platelets circulate in the blood and form clots especially when there is a skin abrasion. Low platelets lead to bleeding and easy bruising.
The National Bone Marrow Program says that three out of every 1 million in the United States suffer aplastic anemia annually.
Neutropenia
Neutropenia refers to lowered neutrophil levels in the blood. Neutrophils are a specialized type of white blood cell. According to the Merck Manual, symptoms of neutropenia include frequent bacterial or fungal infections. It states that neutropenia occurs when neutrophils reach a low of 1,000 cells per microliter of blood.
Treatment for neutropenia dependends on its cause. Simply stopping certain medications can alleviate this condition. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factors are growth factors that can promote increased white blood cell production. Specifically, they stimulate the bone marrow to make more of these cells. Sometimes, treating an underlying disorder can treat neutropenia, says the Merck Manual.
