Flow cytometry : measurement of leukocyte receptor expression and function

Flow cytometry is an invaluable tool for the analysis of leukocyte populations in inflammation. Flow cytometers, particularly those designed purely for analysis rather than cell sorting, have now become user-friendly machines and are commonplace in many laboratories. Any cell type can be analyzed, as long as a single-cell suspension can be prepared, and small numbers of cells can be used, often without the need for purification, thus making measurements rapid and less susceptible to artifacts associated with lengthy cell separation procedures.