From the Guidelines
Flow cytometry is primarily used for diagnosing and monitoring hematological malignancies, such as leukemia and lymphoma, by identifying abnormal cell populations and characterizing their specific markers, as well as detecting minimal residual disease after cancer treatment 1.
Clinical Applications of Flow Cytometry
The technique is essential in clinical settings for:
- Diagnosing blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma by identifying abnormal cell populations and characterizing their specific markers
- Monitoring HIV/AIDS by counting CD4+ T cells, evaluating immune system function, analyzing DNA content for cell cycle studies, and detecting minimal residual disease after cancer treatment
- Detecting minimal residual disease in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with a sensitivity of approximately 1 leukemic cell per 10,000 nucleated cells 1
Technical Recommendations for Flow Cytometry
The European Myeloma Network recommends:
- Using CD38, CD138, and CD45 for plasma cell identification and enumeration
- Including CD19 and CD56 in the minimal panel for detecting abnormal plasma cells
- Using a preferred panel that includes CD20, CD117, CD28, and CD27 for better characterization of plasma cells 1
Advantages of Flow Cytometry
The advantages of flow cytometry include:
- Rapid analysis of thousands of cells per second with high precision
- Ability to detect minimal residual disease after cancer treatment
- Essential tool in both research and clinical diagnostics
- Can be used to monitor treatment response and predict patient outcomes 1
From the Research
Overview of Flow Cytometry
- Flow cytometry is a sophisticated technique used for the analysis of cell populations at the single cell level 2.
- It works on the principle of light scattering and fluorescence emission by specific fluorescent probe-labeled cells as they pass through a laser beam 2.
- This technique offers several unique advantages, including fast, relatively quantitative, multiparametric analysis of cell populations 2.
Applications of Flow Cytometry
- Flow cytometry is used for immunophenotyping of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is an important component in the diagnostic evaluation of patients 3.
- It is also used for the detection of minimal residual disease after therapy, which is a robust prognostic factor that may guide individualized treatment 3.
- Additionally, flow cytometry is used for the analysis of apoptosis, detection of cytokines, and immunophenotyping of peripheral blood cells 4.
- It is a powerful tool for detailed analysis of complex populations in a short period of time 4.
Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry
- Flow cytometry associated cell sorting is equally important as the analytical technique itself 5.
- Physical separation of cells analyzed by flow cytometry has formed the foundation of immune cell differentiation and development 5.
- Isolation of cells based on flow cytometric analysis continues to grow in importance as techniques for genomic and proteomic analysis expand 5.
- Newer technologies for cell sorting, including microfluidic technologies, are being developed and considered 5.
Guidelines and Principles
- There are guidelines available for the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting in immunological studies, which provide the theory and key practical aspects of flow cytometry 6.
- These guidelines enable immunologists to avoid common errors that often undermine immunological data 6.
- The latest flow cytometry techniques and applications are described, featuring examples of the data that can be generated and how the data can be analyzed 6.