Eos levels on CBC

[MandCmama]

Question for any of you better versed than I... C had a CBC w/ diff drawn due to low grade temp for 3 weeks. MD's office called last week to say all was well- just a virus. The lab sent me a copy of his results, and I have questions about his Eos levels. Normal range is 0-4. C's is 9. Eos (absolute) range is .0-.3.  C's is .6.  Would these still be elevated from his original episode of anaphylaxis 2 yrs ago? Does it indicate undiagnosed EA (though not symptomatic).  What other explanation could there be? I was so hopeful he was outgrowing.....

[Carefulmom]

Increased eosinophils are usually due to either allergies or parasites.  No, not from anaphylaxis two years ago.

[cmf]

  carefulmom

[MandCmama]

yes, I understand that aspect of it.  I guess my question is, if he has no known enviromental allergies (and is showing no sx's of them either), he does not have asthma, we are egg free, and even his eczema is not flared currently, why would these numbers be elevated if distant past exposure has no bearing on the #s?

[CMdeux]

... because anyone with food anaphylaxis/MFA is likely to have elevations in eosinophils?

"normal" means "non-atopic normal" I'd guess.

Just like a total IgE in the thousands is "normal" for my daughter, even though "normal range" is below about 100 on that same scale.

The levels of particular cell types and antibodies don't necessariy fluctuate in response to the environmental factors (like recent reactions or avoidance) quite the way it seems like maybe they should. 

Just like RAST levels really don't necessarily correlate to anything in particular.

[MandCmama]

Ok...that makes some sense. And after speaking to one of the docs I work with, even though these numbers seemed so high to me, I guess they're not really all that high.  So maybe there is still hope for a baked egg challenge this summer, yet