Monocytes %
What it measures, and what changes the number.
This line gives monocytes as a share of all white blood cells counted. Monocytes are immune cells that leave the blood to become macrophages in tissues. The percentage comes from the white cell differential, done by an automated analyzer or by examining a blood smear.
A percentage depends on the other white cell types, so it is read together with the absolute monocyte count and the total white blood cell count, along with the percentages of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils and basophils. The percentages of all the white cell types add up to the whole.
Blood is drawn into an EDTA tube and no fasting is needed. Sample age and the analyzer model can affect how cells are classified. Labs may print it as Monocitos % or Monòcits.
Often read alongside: Monocytes, White blood cells, Neutrophils %, Lymphocytes %, Eosinophils %