Application of flow cytometry in clinical renal transplantation

Flow cytometry (FC) may be considered as a fundamental technique in studying cell biology and pathology. It combines the quantitative character of biochemical methods with the multiparametric capacities of microscope analysis in a high-precision process for rapid analysis of individual cell characteristics. Three original FC techniques routinely applied in the field of renal transplantation are reported in the present study. They concern the donor-recipient cross-match test, the morphological analysis of urinary sediment and the modulation of the density of various membrane antigens on the lymphocyte surface. A common factor underlies all these methods: they aim to provide the physician with a reliable diagnostic tool in clinical renal transplantation.