Immunophenotyping of Leukemia and Lymphoma Cells with IGSS: Comparison with APAAP and Flow Cytometry

Abstract

Leukemia and lymphoma cells were immunophenotyped with immunogold-silver staining, the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase method, and flow cytometry and the results were compared. Peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirates, and lymph node cell suspensions of 26 patients with acute or chronic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease were examined. Thirty-five monoclonal antibodies directed against cell surface antigens of myeloid and lymphoid cells were used. In addition, the efficiency of the 3 methods was determined by establishing monoclonal antibody dilution curves on normal peripheral blood cells. In each patient, the 3 immunocytochemical techniques gave an identical immunodiagnosis. Good correlation coefficients (0.91 to 0.93) were found among the percents of positive cells obtained with the3 techniques. Flow cytometry had the highest labeling efficiency. Some monoclonal antibodies of IgM class gave a less reliable immunostainine with APAAP than with IGSS or flow cytometry. Flow cytometry is recommended for immunophenotyping homogeneous cell suspensions. With poor samples or mixed cell suspensions, labeling on cytocentrifuge preparations with IGSS is preferred for its good morphology and stable immunostaining. (The J Histotechnol 16:263, 1993)