Immunophenotype analysis

While changes in cell phenotypes have proved useful in some settings to characterize the immunotoxicity of xenobiotics,1 phenotypic analysis alone is often not a sensitive indicator of low dose immunotoxicity for many agents that alter immune function. Xenobiotics that exert selective toxicity on lymphoid and myeloid cells may be discovered through immunophenotypic analysis. However, most agents produce immunotoxicity at doses much lower than those required to produce cytotoxicity or interfere with primary lymphoid organ differentiation. Some of the most potent immunosuppressive chemicals that have been tested, such as cyclosporine A, do not alter immunophenotype at doses that are immunosuppressive. On the other hand, when phenotyping is linked to assessment of functional parameters of the cells, immunotoxic effects are more likely to be identified. 

Immunophenotypic analysis has become an essential procedure in the analysis and diagnosis of benign and malignant cellular proliferations. Immunophenotypic... 

The versatility of immunophenotypic analysis has enhanced its usefulness. Immunophenotyping can be performed on a variety of specimens including cryop-reserved tissue sections, routinely preserved tissue sections, cells in suspension, tissue-touch preparations ( touch preps ), fine-needle aspiration smears, cytology thin preps and smears, as well as bone marrow aspirate smears. With the evolution of medical science and technical ability the number and types of antigens that can be detected in each type of preparation have greatly increased. Furthermore, as an additional result of these technical and scientific advances, immunophenotyping, particularly of routinely fixed tissue sections, can be performed reliably in many laboratories. 

The choice of immunophenotypic analysis technique of a specimen in general, and of lymphoid lesions specifically, depends on the type and amount of available tissue and the question that the pathologist and clinician wish to answer. As listed in Table 1, both immunohistochemistry and flow-cytometric analysis have specific advantages and disadvantages with respect to type and amount of information that can be garnered from their application. 

Comparison of Techniques of Immunophenotypic Analysis Flow Cytometry vs. Immunohistochemistry... 

K8. Kilo, M. N., and Dorfman, D. M., The utility of flow cytometric immunophenotypic analysis in the distinction of small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia from mantle cell lymphoma. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 105, 451—457 (1996). 

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