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Updated: May 15, 2026
A Simple Flow Cytometric Method to Measure Glucose Uptake and Glucose Transporter Expression for Monocyte Subpopulations in Whole Blood
Published on: August 12, 2016
Monochromatic gating method by flow cytometry for high purity monocyte analysis
1Trillium Diagnostics, LLC, Brewer, Maine 04412, USA.
Background:
Assays of antigen expression on myeloid cells have an underlying premise that the assay integrates high purity gating of the leukocyte subpopulation in question. While CD45/side scatter (SSC) gating provides sufficient gating purity for qualitative assays of antigen expression; it is unsuitable for quantitative assays of antigen changes, especially monocytes. We have validated a monochromatic gating approach combining CD45 and CD64 labeled with the same fluorochrome that allows for high purity monocyte gating.
Methods:
Twenty-five blood samples were stained using three different antibody combinations (CD45 FITC + CD163 PE; CD45 FITC + CD64 PE; CD45 FITC + CD64 FITC). Data analysis focused on the percentage of "monocytes" defined by the various antibody and SSC gating combinations.
Results:
Percent monocyte recovered by monochromatic CD64 gating was not statistically different from two-color CD45 + CD64 or CD45 + CD163 gating. All three methods of immunologic monocyte identification yielded a 12.93%-15.15% reduction in the "monocyte" percentage compared to CD45/SSC gating.
Conclusions:
A monochromatic combination of CD45 and CD64 antibodies with scatter signals allows higher purity monocyte gating by flow cytometry (FC) compared to CD45/SSC gating. This approach allows for the development of a high resolution four-color assay, such as for detection of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, whereby a single four-color tube will allow simultaneous high purity monocyte (CD64+) and neutrophil (CD15+) analysis of both phosphatidylinositol (PI) linked protein expression and FLAER binding.
