CellNetix Offers a New Diagnostic Service
Flow Cytometry Now Available at CellNetix
By: Kristin Mantei, M.D., Director, Flow Cytometry, CellNetix Pathology & Laboratories
Our laboratory now offers state-of-the-art diagnostic services using multiparameter six-color flow cytometric analysis for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other hematological disorders. The Flow Cytometry Laboratory is an integral part of our comprehensive approach to the diagnosis of hematological and lymphoid malignancies.
Flow cytometry allows for rapid identification and quantitation of hematolymphoid populations in peripheral blood, bone marrow, tissue biopsy samples, various body fluids, and fine needle aspiration samples.
The samples are stained with carefully designed panels containing specific antibodies. An appropriate panel is selected for a given case based on clinical information, results of prior or concurrent laboratory studies, or initial morphologic findings. Each antibody within a panel is coupled to one of six different fluorescent dyes. The stained cells pass through 2 laser beams within the Becton Dickinson FACS Canto II flow cytometry analyzer, and the molecular features of each cell are recorded as fluorescent intensity for each of the six colors. Normal and abnormal cells in these samples are identified based on the molecular characteristics on the cell surface or within the cells.
Samples with a very limited number of cells are handled to optimize diagnostic information. Recurrent disease and minimal residual disease can be identified accurately by correlation with previous flow cytometry results.
Our highly experienced staff of medical technologists then perform sophisticated computer analysis of the data obtained on each sample. Further analysis as well as a final diagnostic interpretation is then provided by a hematopathologist after correlation with morphological findings. The flow cytometry interpretation as well as selected images are incorporated into the comprehensive surgical report.
To learn more about Flow Cytometry at CellNetix, Click Here.
