title: [Laboratory tests for cellular immunology: flow cytometric analysis of lymphocyte subsets].
abstract: Flow cytometric analysis for lymphocyte subsets provides two kinds of data: proportion of fluorescence-positive cells (lymphocyte subsets) and the fluorescence intensity. For proportional analysis of lymphocyte subsets, lymphocytes are fractionated with a conventional gate window in scatter analysis, but if activated or enlarged lymphocytes are examined, lymphocytes should be fractionated with an extended gate window. On the other hand, fluorescence intensity of a lymphocyte subset, which represents density of cell surface antigen detected by fluorescence-conjugated specific antibody, is not measured in routine tests yet. However, data on fluorescence intensity are often more valuable than the proportions of lymphocyte subsets: e.g., decrease in fluorescence intensity, but not in proportion, of CD8+ cells in active Graves' disease, and marked decrease in fluorescence intensity of OKT4+ cells in a carrier of familial OKT 4 epitope deficiency. Furthermore, two-color flow cytometry has enabled to measure more valuable, classified subsets of lymphocytes than single color flow cytometry. For example, measurement of peripheral CD5 (Leu-1)+ B cells is very useful for diagnosis of Graves' disease and its differentiation from destruction-induced thyrotoxicosis. In conclusion, we showed that measurement of fluorescence intensity of lymphocyte subsets and two-color flow cytometry are useful for laboratory tests of lymphocyte subsets.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwatani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyai
mesh_terms: D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*