Demands and technical developments of clinical flow cytometry with emphasis in quantitative,spectral,and imaging capabilities

As the gold-standard method for single-cell analysis,flow cytometry enables high-throughput and multiple-parameter characterization of individual biological cells.This review highlights the demands for clinical flow cytometry in laboratory hematology(e.g.,diagnoses of minimal residual disease and various types of leukemia),summarizes state-of-the-art clinical flow cytometers(e.g.,FACSLyricTMby Becton Dickinson,DxFLEX by Beckman Coulter),then considers innovative technical improvements in flow cytometry(including quantitative,spectral,and imaging approaches)to address the limitations of clinical flow cytometry in hematology diagnosis.Finally,driven by these clinical demands,future developments in clinical flow cytometry are suggested.

Detection of cells by flow cytometry:Counting,imaging,and cell classification

The study of circulating cells in the blood stream is critical,as it covers many felds of biomed-icine,including immunology,cell biology,oncology,and reproductive medicine.In-viuo flowcytometry(IVFC)is a new tool to monitor and count cells in real time for long durations in theirnative biological environment.This review describes two main categories of IVFC,ie.,labeledand label-free IVFC.It focuses on label-free IVFC and introduces its technological developmentand related biological applications.Because cell recognition is the basis of flow cytometrycounting,this review also describes various methods for the classification of unlabeled cells,including the latest machine learning-based technologies.

Performance Evaluation of Combined Detection of Serum CEA,CYFRA21-1,CA125,and NSE in Patients with Lung Cancer by Fluorescence Flow Cytometry

Objective:To investigate the effect of combined detection of serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),cytokeratin 19 fragment(CYFRA21-1),cancer antigen 125(CA125),and neuron-specific enolase(NSE)in patients with lung cancer by fluorescence flow cytometry.Methods:From August 2019 to July 2022,200 patients with lung cancer diagnosed by pathology in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.2 mL venous blood was collected in a fasting state and centrifuged to separate the serum(containing human chorionic gonadotropin antibody[anti-hCG antibody],hepatitis B surface antibody[anti-HBs antibody],and CEA).Results:The sensitivities of CEA and CYFRA21-1 detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)were 100%,and the detection limits were 0.5 ng/mL and 0.1 ng/mL,respectively;the sensitivities of CA125 and NSE detected via flow cytometry were 100%,and the detection limits were 10 U/mL and 2 ng/mL,respectively.Compared with ELISA,the sensitivities of CA125 and NSE detected via flow cytometry were higher.When the concentration of CEA was 10-40 ng/mL,the sensitivities of the three markers CYFRA21-1,CA125,and NSE showed no significant changes(P>0.05);when the concentration of CEA was 40-80 ng/mL,the sensitivity of CEA significantly decreased(P<0.01),but the sensitivities of the three markers CYFRA21-1,CA125,and NSE showed no significant changes(P>0.05);when the concentration of CEA was 80-200 ng/mL,the sensitivities of all four markers showed no significant changes(P>0.05).Conclusion:Compared with the double-antibody sandwich ELISA,fluorescence flow cytometry has certain advantages,including high sensitivity,good precision,short detection time,low sample usage,and low medical cost;thus,it is worthy of clinical promotion.

The Clinical Value of Detecting the Level of Exfoliated Cells in Pleural Effusion by Flow Cytometry in the Differential Diagnosis of Non-

Objective:To explore the value of flow cytometry(FCM)in detecting the level of exfoliated cells in pleural effusion in the differential diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer and benign lung diseases.Methods:Clinical data of patients with non-small cell lung cancer who were hospitalized in Hebei hospital from June 2019 to March 2022 were collected.A total of 98 patients were included,and 63 patients with alveolar lung disease were screened during the same period,and the two groups of patients were analyzed.Results:Compared with alveolar lung disease group,FCM detection and analysis showed that the level of exfoliated cells in the pleural effusion of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients was 99(3-969)/100,000,and patients with alveolar lung disease was 4(0~19)/100,000.Additionally,compared with the alveolar lung disease group,the level of exfoliated cells in the pleural effusion of patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)was significantly increased(P<0.001).The diagnostic efficacy of FCM for detecting pleural fluid exfoliated cells in non-small cell lung cancer was assessed using ROC curves and using 95%CI(-11.1,-13.2)with a sensitivity of 0.75 and specificity of 0.94,and the diagnostic efficacy of FCM for detecting pleural fluid exfoliated cells in alveolar lung disease was assessed using 95%CI(-11.1,-13.2)with a sensitivity of 0.71 and specificity of 0.87.Conclusion:Flow cytometry has a wider range of clinical applications,simple operation,low cost,and high sensitivity,which makes it of great significance in disease diagnosis.

Analysis of DNA Ploidy, Cell Cycle and Ki67 Antigen in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Flow Cytometry

Summary: The expression of DNA ploidy, the cell cycle and Ki67 antigen in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were studied and their relationship with the clinical biological behaviors and prognosis of NPC was evaluated. Biopsied specimens of NPC were made into cell suspension. By using cytometric double labeling Ki67 and DNA method, the expression of DNA ploidy, the cell cycle and Ki67 antigen were analyzed. The patients were followed-up for about 3 years and the relationship between the above-mentioned parameters and the clinical biological behavior and prognosis of NPC were evaluated. Of the 62 cases of NPC, the DNA aneuploid accounted for 29.03 %. The S phase cells accounted for 0 to 54 % in the cell cycle and the positive expression of Ki67 ranged from 0 to 52 %. There were 40 cases of LPI (64.5 %) including 15 negative cases and 22 cases of HPI (35 5 %) respectively. The DNA anueploid content was positively related to the S phase cells. The patients having a low expression of Ki67 or DNA aneuploid in tumor cells were not sensitive to chemotherapy, liable to metastasis to distant organs and had a poor prognosis, while Ki67 showed no correlation with DNA ploidy and the cell cycle. It was suggested that DNA ploidy and Ki67 could be used as an independent and objective marker to evaluate the radiosensitivity and prognosis of NPC.

Specific Detection of Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae Based on in situ PCR in Combination With Flow Cytometry

Objective To develop an in situ PCR in combination with flow cytometry （ISPCR-FCM） for monitoring cholera toxin positive Vibrio cholerae. Methods In running this method, 4% paraformaldehyde was used to fix the Vibrio cholerae cells and 1 mg/mL lysozyme for 20 min to permeabilize the cells. Before the PCR thermal cycling, 2.5% glycerol was added into the PCR reaction mixture in order to protect the integrality of the cells. Results A length of 1037bp DNA sequence was amplified, which is specific for the cholera toxin gene （ctxAB gene）. Cells subjected to ISPCR showed the presences of ctxAB gene both in epifluorescence microscopy and in flow cytometric analysis. The specificity and sensitivity of the method were investigated. The sensitivity was relatively low （10^5 cells/mL）, while the specificity was high. Conclusion We have successfully developed a new technique for detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae strains. Further study is needed to enhance its sensitivities. ISPCR-FCM shows a great promise in monitoring specific bacteria and their physiological states in environmental samples.

Application of CD45/SSC Gating Multiparameter Flow Cytometry in the Classification of Acute Leukemia——An Analysis of 139 Cases

In order to study the significance of flow cytometry immunophenotyping in the diagnosis of acute leukemia, CD45/SSC gating multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) was utilized to analyze the immunophenotypes of 139 cases of acute leukemia. 139 cases of acute leukemia were enrolled in our hospital from April 1998 to April 2000. Morphological analysis and FCM immunophenotypic tests were conducted on all cases. Our results showed that CD45/SSC gating multiparameter flow cytometry immunophenotyping could reflect the origin of leukemic cells specifically. It is one of the important methods for the diagnosis of ALL, AML, and HAL. CD45/SSC gating multiparameter FCM analysis is a good technique for immunophenotyping. FCM immunophenotypic analysis can help improve the diagnosis and classification of acute leukemia, and extend the use of FCM in clinical practice.

Genome Size of Alexandrium catenella and Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis Estimated by Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry(FCM) technique has been widely applied to estimating the genome size of various higher plants. However, there is few report about its application in algae. In this study, an optimized procedure of FCM was exploited to estimate the genome size of two eukaryotic algae. For analyzing Alexandrium catenella, an important red tide species, the whole cell instead of isolated nucleus was studied, and chicken erythrocytes were used as an internal reference. The genome size of A. catenella was estimated to be 56.48 ± 4.14 Gb(1C), approximately nineteen times larger than that of human genome. For analyzing Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, an important economical red alga, the purified nucleus was employed, and Arabidopsis thaliana and Chondrus crispus were used as internal references, respectively. The genome size of Gp. lemaneiformis was 97.35 ± 2.58 Mb(1C) and 112.73 ± 14.00 Mb(1C), respectively, depending on the different internal references. The results of this research will promote the related studies on the genomics and evolution of these two species.

Characterization of ploidy levels in Chrysanthemum L. by flow cytometry

Analyzing the ploidy levels of plants is important for identifying species, selecting parental lines, identifying the relationships between species, and determining evolutionary patterns. The genus Chrysanthemum is widely distributed throughout the world and exhibits different ploidy levels. We used flow cytometry to analyze the ploidy levels of nine species of Chrysanthemum L. collected from different regions and geographical locations in China. Three diploids from Henan and Wuhan provinces corresponded to Chrysanthe- mum lavandulifolium and two species of C. nankingense, while three tetraploids from various regions corresponded to C. indicum and two species of C. chanetii. Two hexaploids corresponding to C. vestitum were collected at Funiu moun- tain （Henan province）, and C. zawadskii was collected at Huangshan mountain （Anhui province）. We found that OTTO extraction buffer was suitable for extracting nuclei from most species, apart from C. zawadskii. Flow cytometry proved to bea simple, rapid, and highly accurate method for identifying ploidy levels in Chrysanthemum species.

Analysis of DNA Content of Various Types of Spermatogenic Cells in Rat after Testicular Heating with Flow Cytometry

To measure DNA contents of spermatogenic cells and analyze the efficiency of spermatogenesis after testicular heating in rat Methods Eighty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into experimental group （43 ℃, 30 min） and control group （22 ℃, 30 min）. According to day 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 10, 25, 35 and 50 after local testicular heating, every group was divided into 8 subgroups： experimental subgroups （n=6） and control subgroups （n=4）. DNA contents of various types of germ cells were observed with flow cytometry （FCM） in all groups. Results Compared with control groups, percentages of 4C cell （primary spermatocyte） in 0.5-35 d groups and percentages of 1C cell （spermatid and sperm） in 6-50 d groups significantly decreased in experimental groups （P〈0.05）, and percentages of 2C cell （spermatogonium and second spermatocyte） in 3 -35 d experimental groups increased significantly after heating （P〈0.05）. 4C：2C in all of 8 experimental groups and 1C：2C in 3-35 d experimental groups were down （P〈0. 05）, and in 1 d experimental group 1C：4C was up after heating （P〈0.05）. Conclusions After being heated, the number of spermatocyte firstly decreased, and then that of spermatid and sperm decreased too. Heat influences several stages in spermatogenesis and results in suppression of spermatogenesis. Flow cytometry is an effective method for researching on the change of spermatogenesis and has significance on mechanism about changing of spermatogenic cells induced by heat.

Recent advances in fuorescence-based in vivo flow cytometry

The fuorescence-based in vivo flow cytometry(IVFC)is an emerging tool to monitor eirculating cells in vivo.As a noninvasive and real-timne diagnostic technology,the fluorescence based IVFC allows long-term monitoring of circulating cells without changing their native biological environment.It has been applied for various biological applications(eg,monitoring circulating tumor cells).In this work,we will review our recent works on fluorescence-based IVFC.The operation principle and typical biological applications will be introduced.In addition,the recent advances in IVFC flow cytometry based on photoacoustic effects and other label free detection methods such as imaging based methods,difuse-light methods,hybrid multimodality methods and multispectral methods are also summarized.

Morphological Effects of Natural Products on Schizosaccharomyces pombe Measured by Imaging Flow Cytometry

Gaining a full understanding of the mechanisms of action of natural products as therapeutic agents includes observing the effects of natural products on cellular morphology,because abnormal cellular morphology is an important aspect of cellular transformations that occur as part of disease states.In this study a set of natural products was examined in search of small molecules that influence the cylindrical morphology of fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.Imaging flow cytometry of large populations of S.pombe exposed to natural products captured cell images and revealed changes in mean length and aspect ratio of cells.Several natural products were found to alter S.pombe’s morphology relative to control,in terms of elongating cells,shrinking them,or making them more round.These results may facilitate future investigations into methods by which cells establish and maintain specific shapes.

Identification of Prorocentrum minimum and Takayama pulchella by fluorescence in situ hybridization through epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry

Partial rDNA sequences of Prorocentrum minimum and Takayama pulchella were amplified, cloned and sequenced, and these sequence data were deposited in the GenBank. Eight oligonucleotide probes （DNA probes） were designed based on the sequence analysis. The probes were employed to detect and identify P. minimum and T. pulchella in unialgal and mixed algal samples with a fluorescence in situ hybridization method using flow cytometry. Epifluorescence micrographs showed that these specific probes labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate entered the algal cells and bound to target sequences, and the fluorescence signal resulting from whole-cell hybridization varied from probe to probe. These DNA probes and the hybridization protocol we developed were specific and effective for P. minimum and T. pulchella, without any specific binding to other algal species. The hybridization efficiency of different probes specific to P. minimum was in the order： PM18S02 PM28S02 〉 PM28S01 〉PM18S01, and that of the probes specific to T. pulcheUa was TP18S02 TP28S01 〉 TP28S02 〉TP18S01. The different hybridization efficiency of the DNA probes could also be shown in the fluorescent signals between the labeled and unlabeled cells demonstrated using flow cytometry. The DNA probes PM18S02, PM28S02, TP18S02 and TP28S01, and the protocol, were also useful for the detection of Mgae in natural samples.

Measurement of the Activation of IL-2 on Bone Marrow by Flow Cytometry

The changes of cell surface markers before and after activation by IL-2were detected by flow cytometry (FCM) to establish a more convenient and pre-cise criterion for the judgment of the activation of bone marrow. By using the measurement of the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) the cytotoxicity of mononuclear cells (MNCs) from bone marrow, activated or inactivated, on tumor cell line K562 was evaluated, and at the same time the changes of surface markers on MNCs before and after activation were examined by using FCM. The results showed that the cytotoxicity of MNCs from bone marrow activated by IL-2 on tu-mor cell line K562 was increased obviously and the number of CD and CD posi-tive cells in bone marrow MNCs was higher than be fore activation. The enhanced cytotoxicity of MNCs on tumor cell line K562 was synchronous with the increaseof the number of CD and CD positive cells in 48 to 72 h. It is more direct, simple and precise to demonstrate the activation of IL-2 on bone marrow by detecting the changes of the amount of the CD and CD positive cells in bone marrow by FCM.

Diagnosis of Disorders of Platelet Function by Flow Cytometry

The platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP)Ⅱ b/Ⅲ a, GPIX were detected by immunogold assay and flow cytometry, respectively, in two cases of Glannzmann's thrombasthenia (GT). The immunogold assay showed that the GPⅡ b/Ⅲ a gold granules in GT were decreased obviously, compared with that in normal controls. Flow cytometry results showed that GPⅡ b/Ⅲ a in two cases of GT was 0.1 % and 0.5 % of normal control, respectively. While GPIX showed no difference between the GT and normal control. The patients' father showed no bleeding symptoms, whose GPⅡ b/Ⅲ a accounted for 36.99 % of normal control. The experiment results suggested that flow cytometry is a quick, simple and sensitive method for the diagnosis of GP disorders.

Sperm chromatin condensation as an in vivo fertility biomarker in bulls:a flow cytometry approach

Background:Genetic selection in cattle has been directed to increase milk production.This,coupled to the fact that the vast majority of bovine artificial inseminations(AI)are performed using cryopreserved sperm,have led to a reduction of fertility rates over the years.Thus,seeking sensitive and specific sperm biomarkers able to predict fertility rates is of vital importance to improve cattle reproductive efficiency.In humans,sperm chromatin condensation evaluated through chromomycin A3(CMA3)has recently been purported to be a powerful biomarker for sperm functional status and male infertility.The objectives of the present study were:a)to set up a flow cytometry method for simultaneously evaluating chromatin condensation and sperm viability,and b)to test whether this parameter could be used as a predictor of in vivo fertility in bulls.The study included pools of three independent cryopreserved ejaculates per bull from 25 Holstein males.Reproductive outcomes of each sire were determined by non-return rates,which were used to classify bulls into two groups(highly fertile and subfertile).Results:Chromatin condensation status of bovine sperm was evaluated through the combination of CMA3 and Yo-Pro-1 staining and flow cytometry.Sperm quality parameters(morphology,viability,total and progressive motility)were also assessed.Pearson correlation coefficients and ROC curves were calculated to assess their capacity to predict in vivo fertility.Sperm morphology,viability and total motility presented an area under the ROC curve(AUC)of 0.54,0.64 and 0.68,respectively(P>0.05),and thus were not able to discriminate between fertile and subfertile individuals.Alternatively,while the percentage of progressively motile sperm showed a significant predictive value,with an AUC of 0.73(P=0.05),CMA3/Yo-Pro-1 staining even depicted superior results for the prediction of in vivo fertility in bulls.Specifically,the percentage of viable sperm with poor chromatin condensation showed better accuracy and precision to predict in vivo fertility,with an AUC of 0.78(P=0.02).Conclusions:Chromatin condensation evaluated through CMA3/Yo-Pro-1 and flow cytometry is defined here as a more powerful tool than conventional sperm parameters to predict bull in vivo fertility,with a potential ability to maximising the efficiency of dairy breeding industry.

Comparison of Cell Morphology and Flow Cytometry in the Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma

Objective: To investigate the value of cell morphology and flow cytometry in the diagnosis of Multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: 166 newly diagnosed MM patients were retrospectively analyzed, and the proportion of plasma cells detected by flow cytometry and cell morphology in these patients was statistically analyzed. Results: All patients were divided into three groups according to the proportion of plasma cells detected by cell morphology: group A (≥30%), group B (≥10% and <30%), and group C (<10%). 1) In all patients and group A, B and C, the proportion of plasma cells detected by cell morphology was all correlated with that detected by flow cytometry. 2) The proportion of plasma cells detected by cell morphology in group A and group B was higher than that by flow cytometry, while there was no significant difference in group C. 3) The sensitivity of plasma cells detected by flow cytometry in group A, B and C was 88.7%, 51.2% and 10%, respectively. 4) According to the immunophenotypic analysis, the immunophenotypic characteristics were similar, all of them were CDl9 - CD38 + CDl38 + CD56 +/- CD45dim ~ -. Conclusion: There is a certain correlation between the two detection methods. The quantitative detection of myeloma cells by cell morphology is better, and the qualitative detection by flow cytometry is better. Combined with the two detection methods, the detection rate of multiple myeloma can be significantly improved.

Application of Flow Cytometry in Examination of Immunophenotypes in Human Cells

[Objectives]This study was conducted to establish a method for detecting the immunophenotypes of venous blood CIK cells in healthy donors and patients with triple-negative breast cancer or lung cancer by flow cytometry,and to further analyze and discuss the proportion of cellular immunophenotypes such as CD3^(+),CD4^(+),CD8^(+),CD3^(+)CD8^(+),CD3^(+)CD56^(+)in CIK cells.[Methods]Human venous blood was drawn,then anticoagulated with heparin and isolated with lymphocyte isolation solution,and the relevant immunophenotypes were detected by flow cytometry after 21 d of culture.[Results]The expression of CD3^(+)CD8^(+)and CD3^(+)CD56^(+)in the venous blood CIK cells was significantly higher in healthy donors than that in triple-negative breast and lung cancer patients.[Conclusions]CD3^(+)CD8^(+)and CD3^(+)CD56^(+)CIK cells have high anti-tumor activity.

Fluorometric Viability Assessment of Capacitated and Acrosome-Reacted Boar Spermatozoa by Flow Cytometry

Sperm capacitation involves functional changes, such as the removal or appearance of specific molecules and changes in the plasma membrane;the acrosome reaction (AR) is an exocytotic event induced by calcium influx, enabling the spermatozoa to penetrate the zona pellucida. These processes can be achieved only if the spermatozoa have good viability;indeed, determination of sperm viability is used for the assessment of semen quality. Membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity are important viability parameters of spermatozoa and fluorescent techniques based on membrane permeability to dyes have been developed to determine these parameters. The aim of this work was to determine the viability of boar sperm (fresh, one hour of capacitation induction and 20 min of AR induction) by flow cytometry using propidium iodide (PI) (1.25 μg/mL) and rhodamine 123 (R123) (0.20 μg/mL). Aliquots of 5 × 105 sperm were incubated with each fluorochrome separately and simultaneously for 10 or 20 min, respectively, at 38℃. The proportion of labeled spermatozoa and their fluorescence intensities were measured using a flow cytometer. The fluorescence index (FI) with PI gradually increased during the incubation and we found significant differences between all the groups. With R123, the FI increased in the capacitated sperm but decreased in the acrosome-reacted sperm, with significant differences between the fresh and capacitated spermatozoa. Our results suggest that the increase in the R123 fluorescence intensity in capacitated spermatozoa is due to changes in the mitochondrial membrane activity because the spermatozoa experienced changes in membrane fluidity and flagellar activation during capacitation. The use of fluorochromes and flow cytometry is a good tool for monitoring many markers of sperm function. Although capacitation and AR processes have been well studied, there is still much information to be elucidated with regard to these complex processes.