Glitter cells (also called Sternheimer-Malbin positive cells) are polymorphonuclear leukocyte

neutrophil Neutrophils (also known as neutrocytes or heterophils) are the most abundant type of granulocytes and make up 40% to 70% of all white blood cells in humans. They form an essential part of the innate immune system, with their functions varying in ...

s with granules that show a

Brownian movement Brownian motion, or pedesis (from grc, πήδησις "leaping"), is the random motion of particles suspended in a medium (a liquid or a gas). This pattern of motion typically consists of random fluctuations in a particle's position insid ...

and that are found in the

urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excretion, excreted from the body through the urethra. Cel ...

, most commonly associated with

urinary tract infection A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects part of the urinary tract. When it affects the lower urinary tract it is known as a bladder infection (cystitis) and when it affects the upper urinary tract it is known as a kidney ...

s or

pyelonephritis Pyelonephritis is inflammation of the kidney, typically due to a bacterial infection. Symptoms most often include fever and flank tenderness. Other symptoms may include nausea, burning with urination, and frequent urination. Complications may ...

and especially prevalent under conditions of hypotonic urine (samples with specific gravity less than 1.01). First described in 1908, they derive their name from their appearance when viewed on a wet mount preparation under a

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...

; the granules within their

cytoplasm In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. The ...

can be seen moving, giving them a "glittering appearance." due to swelling of the neutrophil as result of hypotonicity. In addition to a glittering morphology, glitter cells also exhibit a colorless or pale blue nuclei and pale blue or gray cytoplasmic region when stained with Sternheimer-Malbin Stain. The presence of glitter cells may be indicative of inflammatory changes in the bladder and kidney.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neutrophil Granulocyte Cell biology Granulocytes Phagocytes Human cells