Tim Holzer asks: > >Can anyone suggest specific immunophenotypic markers for differentiating >mature from immature human neutrophils? I'm looking for an antibody >method to measure the ratio of band cells to total PMNs. Are there any >nuclear stains or probes that could do this in laser based systems? >Reference citations would be appreciated. > The transition from "band" to "seg" PMN is continuous; there is no cell division in neutrophils past the metamyelocyte stage. The morphological band-seg distinction itself is somewhat arbitrary, based on the estimated thickness of the thinnest portion of the nucleus, and thus dependent on cell orientation, microscope alignment, and eyestrain, among other things. While there may be increases or decreases in expression of some neutrophil antigens with increasing maturity, there aren't any band- or seg-specific antigens. If the LSC doesn't have the resolution to do nuclear morphology, cell size may be your best bet; immature neutrophils are known to be bigger than mature ones, whether measured on slides or by flow cytometry. -Howard
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