Immunophenotyping of Posttraumatic Neutrophils on a Routine Haematology Analyser

Introduction. Flow cytometry markers have been proposed as useful predictors for the occurrence of posttraumatic inflammatory complications. However, currently the need for a dedicated laboratory and the labour-intensive analytical procedures make these markers less suitable for clinical practice. We tested an approach to overcome these limitations. Material and Methods. Neutrophils of healthy donors were incubated with antibodies commonly used in trauma research: CD11b (MAC-1), L-selectin (CD62L), Fc gamma RIII (CD16), and Fc gamma RII (CD32) in active form (MoPhab A27). Flow cytometric analysis was performed both on a FACSCalibur, a standard flow cytometer, and on a Cell-Dyn Sapphire, a routine haematology analyser. Results. There was a high level of agreement between the two types of analysers, with 41% for Fc gamma RIII, 80% for L-selectin, 98% for CD11b, and even a 100% agreement for active Fc gamma RII. Moreover, analysis on the routine haematology analyser was possible in less than a quarter of the time in comparison to the flow cytometer. Conclusion. Analysis of neutrophil phenotype on the Cell-Dyn Sapphire leads to the same conclusion compared to a standard flow cytometer. The markedly reduced time necessary for analysis and reduced labour intensity constitutes a step forward in implementation of this type of analysis in clinical diagnostics in trauma research.