Immunology Department, SydPath, St Vincent's Pathology, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Pathology. 2011 Oct;43(6):580-91. doi: 10.1097/PAT.0b013e32834a69ae.
Technological advances in flow cytometry include increasingly sophisticated instruments and an expanding range of fluorochromes. These advances are making it possible to detect an increasing number of markers on a single cell. The term polychromatic flow cytometry applies to such systems that detect five or more markers simultaneously. This review provides an overview of the current and future impact of polychromatic flow cytometry in the clinical laboratory. The use of multiple markers has several advantages in the diagnosis and monitoring of haematological malignancies. Cell populations can be analysed more comprehensively and efficiently, and abnormal populations can be distinguished more readily when normal counterparts are present. Polychromatic flow cytometry is particularly useful in the evaluation of plasma cells, and the role of flow cytometry in the assessment of plasma cell disorders is reviewed in depth. There is improved sensitivity in the assessment of small populations, which is critical in the evaluation of minimal residual disease. Flow cytometry can also play a role in assessment of circulating tumour cells in carcinoma. Introduction of polychromatic flow cytometry is a complex process with many challenges including design of antibody panels and instrument compensation. Developments in data analysis are required to realise the full benefits of the other technical advances. Standardisation of protocols may reduce inter-laboratory variation. While the complexity of polychromatic flow cytometry creates challenges, it has substantial potential to improve clinical analysis.
流式细胞术的技术进步包括日益复杂的仪器和不断扩大的荧光染料范围。这些进步使得在单个细胞上检测越来越多的标记物成为可能。多色流式细胞术一词适用于同时检测五个或更多标记物的系统。本文综述了多色流式细胞术在临床实验室的当前和未来影响。在血液恶性肿瘤的诊断和监测中，使用多个标记物有几个优点。可以更全面、更有效地分析细胞群体，并且当存在正常对应物时，可以更轻松地区分异常群体。多色流式细胞术在浆细胞的评估中特别有用，本文深入探讨了流式细胞术在浆细胞疾病评估中的作用。在评估小群体时，敏感性得到了提高，这对于微小残留疾病的评估至关重要。流式细胞术还可以在评估癌的循环肿瘤细胞中发挥作用。多色流式细胞术的引入是一个复杂的过程，具有许多挑战，包括抗体面板和仪器补偿的设计。需要进行数据分析的发展，以实现其他技术进步的全部效益。协议的标准化可能会减少实验室间的差异。虽然多色流式细胞术的复杂性带来了挑战，但它具有显著改善临床分析的潜力。
