ABSTRACT

Basophils are a type of white blood cell. Though produced in the bone marrow, they are found in many tissues throughout our body. Basophils account for only 0.1-1% of all peripheral blood leukocytes and are rarely seen in routine blood smears. However, different ranges are set depending on the laboratory and also based on the local population. In Multan we noticed presence of basophil in almost every 100 cell count while examining peripheral smears of various patients with different diseases; this prompted us to examine basophils in blood of normal healthy individuals living in this region and to find out the reasons associated with it and whether the reference value of this specific cell should be changed here or not. Though brought to light long ago, basophils are still neglected for more than a century. They share features of innate and adaptive immunity and today basophils are well known for their obviously prominent effector role in the allergic reaction and functional roles in the context of the human immune system1.