Current status of lymphocyte subpopulation testing in humans.

The determination of lymphocyte subpopulations is becoming increasingly useful in the clinical laboratory. Defining cells beyond the T- and B-lymphocyte level is now possible and with improved technology such as double labeling, histochemical stains, and cytofluorographic analysis, lymphocyte subpopulation identification will become more routine. This overview presents the current status of the art of defining lymphocyte subpopulations and its usefulness in clinical medicine.