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Hematology

Basophils: allergy, hives and what an abnormal value means

Basophils are white blood cells holding substances such as histamine, which are released in an allergic reaction; according to the NVKC they occur mainly in tissues where such reactions take place, such as skin, nose and lungs.

A raised basophil count can go with allergic conditions, with inflammatory conditions and with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a blood cancer. Only a blood test shows which way the count goes.

Star-SHL counts 0.0 to 0.15 × 10^9/l as normal in women and men, and Unilabs from age 15, Certe for adults and Diagnostiek voor U set the upper limit at 0.2 × 10^9/l. According to a review, a low count can fit active chronic hives or active lupus.

Doctor's Assessment Included

Basophils are one of the five types of white blood cell, normally 0 to 2 percent of the total according to the NVKC. The upper limit for adults is 0.15 × 10^9/l at Star-SHL and 0.2 × 10^9/l at Unilabs, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U.

  • Basophils take part in allergic reactions and, according to the NVKC, occur mainly in tissues where those take place, such as skin, nose and lungs; their number in the bloodstream therefore says little about those allergic reactions.
  • A raised basophil count can occur with allergic and inflammatory conditions and with some forms of leukaemia.
  • For adults, a low basophil count falls within the range at Star-SHL, Unilabs, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U, because their lower limit is zero or absent.

Reference Ranges

Female
10^9/l
Low 0 Normal 0.2 High

Source: NVKC — Nederlandse Vereniging voor Klinische Chemie en Laboratoriumgeneeskunde Reference population: Adults (NVKC)

Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. When you order a test, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your personal results in context. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.

Check your own value

Basophils: what Dutch laboratories use

Reference ranges by group, in 10^9/l
Star-shl · Everyone 0.00–0.15 10^9/l
0 0.15
Unilabs · Everyone · 15 years and older · a limit, not a range < 0.2 10^9/l
0.2
Certe · Female · 18 years and older 0.0–0.2 10*9/L
0 0.2
Diagnostiek voor U · Everyone · a limit, not a range < 0.2 /nL
0.2
0 0.22 10^9/l

Source: Star-shl

Source: Unilabs

Source: Certe

Source: Diagnostiek voor U

Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.

Basophils: what this test measures

A basophil count expresses the number of basophils per litre of blood in billions (× 10^9/l) and comes from the white cell differential, in which the white blood cells are split over five types.

According to the NVKC, basophils normally make up 0 to 2 percent of all white blood cells. None of the four laboratories, Star-SHL, Unilabs, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U, uses a different basophil limit for adult women than for men.

Basophils: why this value matters

According to a review, active chronic hives and active lupus go with a low basophil count. In chronic hives, red wheals that keep returning for more than six weeks, the basophil count is reduced during active phases and recovers when the hives are under control. In active lupus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, the review calls a low basophil count a hallmark.

Basophils: how the blood test works

Referral
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The draw
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Where
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Basophils: when is testing worthwhile?

The NVKC describes the basophil count as a test that is always carried out as part of a full blood test.

Basophils: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

According to a review, a low basophil count can go with active chronic hives, in which red wheals keep returning for more than six weeks, and with active lupus (SLE), an autoimmune disease. According to the same review, a truly lowered count is rare, and the count also falls after corticosteroids are given. A result of zero falls within the range for adult women and men, because Star-SHL and Certe start at zero and Unilabs and Diagnostiek voor U give no lower limit.

High Levels

A raised basophil count can arise in an allergic reaction: according to a review, studies with deliberate exposure to allergens and studies of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, showed that basophils then move into the blood and their count rises. Have a raised count assessed by a doctor, because according to a US review it can also occur in chronic myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.

Basophils: causes of a low or high value

What lowers the value

  • Corticosteroids

    A fall in the basophil count is consistently observed after corticosteroids are given.

  • Active chronic hives

    In chronic hives the basophil count is reduced during active phases and recovers when the hives are under control.

  • Active lupus (SLE)

    In active lupus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, a low basophil count is a hallmark according to a review.

What raises the value

  • Allergy

    According to a US review, a raised basophil count can occur with allergic conditions, although a rise without other abnormalities is rare.

  • Inflammatory conditions

    According to a US review, the basophil count can be raised with inflammatory conditions, although an isolated rise is rare.

  • Leukaemia

    According to the NVKC, a raised basophil count can result from some forms of leukaemia, such as chronic and acute myeloid leukaemia, often together with more eosinophils.

  • Toxic substances

    According to the NVKC, the number of basophils in the blood can be raised after exposure to toxic substances.

  • Radiation

    According to the NVKC, the number of basophils in the blood can be raised after exposure to radiation.

Basophils: lifestyle and this value

A low basophil count is easier to read when it is known whether hives, recurring red wheals on the skin, were active around the blood draw. According to a review, the count in chronic hives is lower during active phases and recovers once the wheals are under control.

In lupus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, the size of the fall is linked to how active the disease is, according to the same review. So also note with the result whether lupus was active around the blood draw.

Basophils: frequently asked questions

Can hives lower the basophil count?

Yes, in chronic hives the basophil count is reduced during active phases according to a review, and it recovers when the hives are under control.

Does the basophil count say anything about an allergy?

The basophil count in the bloodstream says little about allergic reactions according to the NVKC, because basophils are mainly active in allergically affected tissues, such as skin, nose and lungs. A raised count can occur with an allergy, though.

Is there a different limit for women?

No, Star-SHL, Unilabs, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U use no separate basophil limit for women: Star-SHL uses 0.0 to 0.15 × 10^9/l for women and men, and Certe 0 to 0.2 × 10^9/l for adult women and men.

Basophils: sources

  1. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Klinische Chemie en Laboratoriumgeneeskunde. Basofiele granulocyten. "Normaal bedraagt het percentage basofiele granulocyten slechts 0% -2% van het totaal aantal witte bloedcellen. Dit komt overeen met een hoeveelheid van 0 - 0,2x10ˆ9 cellen per liter." De bron maakt geen onderscheid tussen mannen en vrouwen en geeft geen leeftijdsindeling. Geraadpleegd 14 augustus 2026. (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl
  2. Star-shl, Labbepalingen (referentiewaarden per bepaling), star-shl.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) star-shl.nl
  3. Diagnostiek voor U, eLabgids (Referentiewaarden DvU), diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu
  4. Unilabs, Bepalingenklapper (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenklapper.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenklapper.nl
  5. Certe, Bepalingenwijzer (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl
  6. Shah H, Eisenbarth S, Tormey CA, Siddon AJ. Behind the scenes with basophils: an emerging therapeutic target. Immunother Adv 2021;1(1):ltab008 (retrieved 2026) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. Riley LK, Rupert J. Evaluation of Patients with Leukocytosis. Am Fam Physician 2015;92(11):1004-1011 (retrieved 2026) aafp.org
  8. NVKC, Alles over testen: Basofiele granulocyten, allesovertesten.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-07 (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl

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