ABSTRACT
Flow cytometry (FC) plays a very important role in the diagnosis, subclassification, and posttreatment monitoring of hematologic neoplasms [1–21]. FC results allow one to choose in a timely manner the most appropriate further testing (such as floursecent in situ hybridization [FISH] or polymerase chain rection [PCR]) to establish the definite diagnosis and to further characterize the malignant process. Multiparameter FC measures simultaneously several surface and/or intracytoplasmic markers on a single cell, allowing for accurate phenotypic characterization of analyzed population(s). While no single marker permits a definite lineage assignment, analysis with panels of antibodies allows for separation of hematologic tumors into very precise subtypes with different prognosis and treatment requirements, as defined by current World Health Organization classification of hematopoietic and lymphoid tumors [22]. FC analysis can precisely differentiate between B- and T-cell malignancies, between mature (peripheral) and precursor tumors, and among the latter, determine the myeloid or lymphoid lineage. In acute leukemias, the role of FC is not limited to identification of blasts, but expands to determine the lineage and specific phenotype, which often prompts additional testing for the final subclassification of leukemia.
