Application and disadvantages of flow cytometry in hematopathology : a brief review

Abstract EN

Flow cytometry (FCM) is an analytical method used for measurement of light scattering and emission of fluorescence produced by cells and chromosomes1.

It is a laser-based technology used to measure characteristics of biological particles, particularly used to perform measurements on whole cells as well as prepared cellular constituents such as nuclei and organelles in the size range of 0.5 μm to 40 μm diameter1.

Laser is most often used as a light source in flow cytometry2.

The first flow cytometry device was made by Wallace H.

Coulter in 1953.

A decade after Coulter’s disclosure, German engineer Wolfgang Göhde introduced the first fluorescent flow cytometry.

However, flow cytometry was commercialized in the late 60s by another German named Partec.

The use of flow cytometers started to flourish through the 70s and 80s, and gained distinction for use in the laboratory in the 90s.

Flow cytometers are used in immunophenotyping, ploidy analysis, cell counting and GFP expression analysis3.

Specifically, FCM measures volume and morphological complexity of cells, cell ligaments, DNA content, chromosomes, protein expressions and antigens, enzymatic activity, membrane potentials and fluidity, cell apoptosis and viability and HIV monitoring4-6.