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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Viability Assays for Cells in Culture
Published on: January 20, 2014
Accurate assessment of cell count and viability with a flow cytometer
Mark Shenkin1, Ramesh Babu, Russell Maiese
1AmeriPath Inc., Orlando, FL, USA. mshenkin@ameripath.com
Background:
In this study we developed a method to measure cell concentration and viability in specimens received in flow cytometry and cytogenetics laboratories.
Methods:
Specimens are stained with a vital fluorescent dye, SYTO13, the cell impermeant viability dye, 7-AAD, and a leukocyte marker, CD45. After the addition of an internal calibrator microsphere, FLOW-COUNT, the flow cytometer is capable of measuring the viability of nucleated cells, giving a general assessment of leukocyte populations and measuring their concentration.
Results:
An accurate assessment of specimen quality is an important parameter when performing flow cytometric and cytogenetic leukemia/lymphoma assessment. High quality specimen is desired to avoid the pitfalls of non-specific staining and limited cellularity/viability.
Conclusions:
Use of a cell count and viability measurement prior to leukemia and lymphoma assessment by flow cytometry and cytogenetics helps to increase the rate of successful immunophenotypic and cytogenetic analysis.
