Lymphocytes (Nursing)

00:01 Now when you talk about lymphocytes, we have three types: T cells, B cells, and NK cells.

00:08 So the T cells and the B cells are named from where they come.

00:12 NK just means natural killer cells, so they're pretty cool.

00:17 So T cells mature in the thymus.

00:20 So make sure you circle the "T" and circle the "T" in thymus and underline it, so it's easy for you to remember.

00:26 Now, these guys are helper cells. They're the servants.

00:29 They're the ones who really get in there and get the job done.

00:32 They're helper cells because they help other cells mature, activate, and function.

00:38 So that's the first type of T cell. There's T helper cells.

00:41 Next, there's T cytotoxic cells. Now, these guys destroy cells that are infected with viruses. That's pretty cool.

00:50 So T cells come from the thymus.

00:52 There's T helper cells that help other cells be all they can be.

00:56 There's cytotoxic T cells that destroy cells if they've been infected with a virus.

01:01 Remember, viruses come in and take over cells.

01:04 And then there's memory cells because they remember antigens from past infections.

01:08 This is what's really cool.

01:10 That's what helps you fight off infection. If you've been infected with something before, these T cells remember and they'll help you deal with it.

01:19 Now the B cells are formed in the bone, okay, so that's really an easy way to remember things.

01:25 T cells come from the thymus, B cells come from the bone.

01:28 Now, in your plasma, they produce large amounts of antibodies, which is awesome because that can deliver it all the way around through the body.

01:35 They also are B memory cells, so they remember past infections, too.

01:40 The last group are the natural killer cells.

01:43 Now, they're kind of similar to the cytotoxic T cells, but they kill virus-infected cells and tumor cells.

01:51 Okay, let that sink in.

01:53 Did you know that your body, your immune system, can actually kill cancer cells? Yeah. They do it all the time. So when we're thinking about lymphocytes.

02:05 Let's back it up. They do some amazing things.

02:08 When it comes to killing cells, natural killers can kill virus-infected cells and tumor cells.

02:15 Cytotoxic T cells destroy cells that are infected with viruses.

02:20 So there's something we can chunk and put together.

02:23 That which ones have memory? The B cells and the T cells have memory.

02:28 Other than that, T cells are helpers, and the B cells produce large amounts of antibodies in the plasma.

02:34 So that's kind of looking at the 3 different types of lymphocytes.

02:39 So we've got T, B, and NK, natural killer cells.

02:44 They're usually about 15%-41% of your total white blood cells.

02:50 Now you get your lab work back, you notice your white cell counts are up, and now you look at specifically the lymphocytes are up, so that could be a sign of a viral infection.

02:59 The neutrophils respond initially to bacterial more.

03:03 So if the neutrophils are up, that's probably a bacterial infection.

03:06 But if the lymphocytes are up, that's probably a viral infection. So that's one way you can tell the difference just from the CBC test.

03:15 Okay, the leukemias can also cause an increase in lymphocytosis Okay, now lymphocytopenia is going to be what you see in a person who is HIV positive.

03:25 That means you have Human Immunodeficiency Virus present in your bloodstream, and that destroys the T cells; the CD4 T cells, specifically.

03:36 Now the difference between HIV and full-blown AIDS is once the CD4 T cell level gets and they have an opportunistic infection, then that means they are in full-blown AIDS.

03:48 So, HIV means the virus is present, but AIDS means it has destroyed so many of the T cells that the CD4 T cell count is But for now, remember a low lymphocyte count or lymphocytopenia one reason could be because the patient has HIV.

04:07 Also, if their bone marrow is failing, for whatever reason, or aplastic anemia, you'll see low lymphocytes.

04:14 Again, comes back up, excessive glucocorticoids.

04:18 This is lupus. SLE is systemic lupus erythematosus.

04:22 RA stands for rheumatoid arthritis.

04:25 Then comes up with chemotherapy or immunosuppression.

04:30 Okay. So we talked about HIV.

04:33 Does it make sense why bone marrow failure would give you low lymphocytes? Right. Bone marrow failure is going to give you low blood cells, period.

04:43 Excessive glucocorticoids, we've discussed that in previous issues, and see how many times that comes up.

04:48 My best recommendation would be for you to make 1 chart and flip this around backwards. It's a great strategy.

04:56 Pick something like immunosuppression, and then list all of the different cell abnormalities that are caused by immunosuppression.

05:04 Look at excessive glucocorticoids and list all those again.

05:08 Making your own chart will really help you supercharge your studying habits and your retention.

05:13 So go back through the slides when you have some time, after you're done watching the video, and make a new and different chart.

05:19 That way, you're showing your brain how to look at this information from a different perspective.

05:24 I promise you, the time you invest will pay off big.