Erythocyte Lysis - Procedure

From: adurett@notes.mdacc.tmc.edu
Date: Thu Mar 25 1999 - 12:10:26 EST


My response to a query regarding RBC lysis drew several requests for our
procedure, so thought I would share with everyone.  I came upon this
technique when setting up platelet antibody assays; used it latter to
isolate various cell populations (platelets, lymphs, mono, grans) from
whole blood and apheresis collection products during development of blood
cell separator with IBM.   Before choosing this lysing agent we tested
several methods and found this reagent to be the least traumatic to all
cell populations, by both morphological evaluation and functional assays.

Original Reference : Aster, RH, HE Cooper, and D Singer, Simplified
Complement Fixation Test for Detection of Platelet Antibodies in Human
Serum; J Lab Clin Med 63: 161-172, 1964 (January)

Current Procedure for Preparation and Use
Reagents
1. Ammonium oxalate, oxalic acid
Source : Sigma Chem, St Louis MO, USA, #O-8751
2. Sterile water for irrigation, USP
Source : Baxter Heathcare, Deerfield IL, USA, #2B7114
This is more for our convenience, any triple distilled water source is
acceptable.

Preparation
1.  Prepare 1.1-1.2%(w/v) ammonium oxalate in water
2.  Mix well until reagent is in solution
3.  Adjust solution to 205-215mOsm; this is critical to achieve RBC lysis.
4.  Filter sterilize using 0.2um Corning Filter/Storage unit
5.  Store aliquots at room temperature or store 4C, bring to ambient temp
prior to use

RBC Lysing Procedure
1. Dilute 1 part sample : 4-5 parts ammonium oxalate
Note : sample = peripheral blood, bone marrow, cord blood, apheresis
products, lymph/mono interface or RBC/gran pellet from Ficoll gradient
separation.
2. Mix well by gentle inversion; incubate 15 min ambient temperature
3. Sediment cells, 400g 8min, 25C
4. Decant wash supernatant containing free hemoglobin
5. Gently resuspend cell pellet
6. Repeat steps #1-#6 if necessary; maybe repeated up to 3X without
damaging  cells.  Red cells remaning after 3 lysing procedures are more
than likely nucleated RBC and will NOT lysis
7. Wash cells in PBS+1%(v/v)HSA,  or diluent of choice according to
protocol for cell useage.

If there are any further questions, please contact me
April

Translational Research & Flow Cytometry
Blood & Marrow Transplantation
Univ Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at Houston



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