White blood cells leukocytes
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Understanding White Blood Cells (Leukocytes): Functions, Classification, and Technological Advances
Introduction to White Blood Cells (Leukocytes)
White blood cells (WBCs), also known as leukocytes, are crucial components of the immune system, responsible for defending the body against infections and foreign invaders 12. These cells originate from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and are found in blood, plasma, and lymph tissues 58. Leukocytes can be broadly categorized into three main groups: granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes, each playing distinct roles in immune responses 3.
Classification and Functions of Leukocytes
Granulocytes
Granulocytes include neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. Neutrophils, also known as polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), are the most abundant type and act as the first line of defense against pathogens 3. Eosinophils and basophils are involved in allergic reactions and parasitic infections 48.
Monocytes
Monocytes differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells, which are essential for phagocytosis and antigen presentation, playing a significant role in chronic inflammation and pathogen elimination 38.
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes consist of T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. T-cells and B-cells are pivotal in adaptive immunity, with T-cells killing infected cells and B-cells producing antibodies. NK cells are involved in the innate immune response, targeting virus-infected and cancerous cells 38.
Technological Advances in Leukocyte Analysis
Automated Detection and Classification
Traditional methods of leukocyte analysis involve manual inspection of blood smears, which is time-consuming and prone to errors 124. Recent advancements in deep learning and computer vision have led to the development of automated systems for the detection and classification of WBCs. For instance, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been employed to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of leukocyte classification 4910.
Segmentation Techniques
Accurate segmentation of leukocytes is crucial for their analysis. Novel deep learning architectures such as the leukocyte deep segmentation network (LDS-Net) and leukocyte deep aggregation segmentation network (LDAS-Net) have been developed to achieve precise segmentation of both the cytoplasm and nuclei in WBC images. These methods have demonstrated superior performance with high dice coefficients, indicating their effectiveness in clinical applications 1.
Mobile-Cloud Assisted Frameworks
In the context of smart cities, mobile-cloud-assisted frameworks have been proposed for the localization and classification of WBCs from blood smear images. These frameworks leverage cloud computing to process and analyze images, providing a resource-aware solution that enhances the speed and accuracy of leukocyte detection and classification 2.
Morphometric Analysis
Morphometric parameters such as diameter, volume, and membrane area of leukocytes are essential for understanding their functions. Studies using transmission electron microscopy have shown that leukocytes have a significantly smaller diameter in isotonic solutions compared to blood smears, and possess excess membrane area, which is crucial for their deformability and function 6.
Impact of Leukocytes on Tissue Regeneration
The role of leukocytes in tissue regeneration is complex. While they are essential for immune responses, their presence in platelet concentrates can inhibit tissue regeneration by promoting prolonged inflammation and reducing cell proliferation and differentiation. This highlights the need for careful consideration of leukocyte inclusion in therapeutic applications 7.
Conclusion
White blood cells are indispensable to the immune system, with each type playing a unique role in defending the body against infections. Advances in deep learning and computer vision have revolutionized the detection and classification of leukocytes, making the process more efficient and accurate. Understanding the morphometric properties and the impact of leukocytes on tissue regeneration is crucial for developing effective medical treatments and diagnostic tools.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Deep Features Aggregation-Based Joint Segmentation of Cytoplasm and Nuclei in White Blood Cells
The LDS-Net and LDAS-Net shallow networks effectively segment cytoplasm and nuclei in white blood cells, outperforming state-of-the-art methods with superior computational efficiency and requiring only 6.5 million trainable parameters.
Leukocytes Classification and Segmentation in Microscopic Blood Smear: A Resource-Aware Healthcare Service in Smart Cities
Our smartphone-based cloud-assisted framework effectively detects and classifies white blood cells in blood smear images, improving accuracy and speed in diagnosing diseases like AIDS and blood cancer.
Highly CitedLeukocytes, the Janus cells in inflammatory disease
PMN leukocytes play a complex and ambiguous role in both normal and inflamed tissue, with potential benefits in microbicidal activity and potential harm in organ damage.
Improved Classification of White Blood Cells with the Generative Adversarial Network and Deep Convolutional Neural Network
The proposed method using generative adversarial networks and deep neural networks effectively classifies white blood cells into five types, with DenseNet-169 yielding a validation accuracy of 98.8%.
A Fully Unsupervised Instance Segmentation Technique for White Blood Cell Images
This paper proposes a novel instance segmentation method for identifying white blood cells in bone marrow images, revealing hidden infections and warning doctors about chronic medical conditions.
PreprintMorphometry of human leukocytes.
Human white blood cells, including lymphocytes, have a significantly larger membrane area than needed to cover their volumes, and this membrane area remains constant even when the cell is hypotonically swollen.
In Vitro StudyHighly CitedEffect of leukocytes included in platelet concentrates on cell behaviour
Leukocyte inclusion in platelet concentrates may inhibit tissue regeneration and prolong inflammation due to cytokine release.
Systematic ReviewChapter 3 The Cytoskeleton and Deformability of White Blood Cells
The cytoskeleton plays a critical role in leukocyte deformability, which is essential for their immune system function and maintaining healthy vasculature.
Automatic detection and classification of leukocytes using convolutional neural networks
This paper proposes an automatic detection and classification system for white blood cells using convolutional neural networks, achieving better detection and classification accuracy than other methods.
Rigorous JournalHighly Cited