Mixed lymphocyte cultures using automated blood cell counters.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Hematology
• Transplantation Science

Background:

• Histocompatibility testing is crucial for successful bone marrow transplantation.
• Standard mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) is a common but time-consuming method.
• Objective assessment of lymphocyte transformation is needed for efficient donor screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare a novel cell count and size distribution technique with the standard MLC for histocompatibility testing.
• To evaluate the suitability of the new method for screening large numbers of potential bone marrow donors.

Main Methods:

• A series of histocompatibility tests were performed on 24 patients and 39 potential bone marrow donors.
• Lymphocyte suspensions were analyzed after a 10-day incubation period using a Coulter S+ IV automated counter.
• Cell count and size distribution were measured to assess lymphocyte transformation.

Main Results:

• Lymphocyte transformation was identifiable by increased leucocyte count and wider size distribution.
• A close correlation (r = 0.7; p < 0.001) was observed between response indices from the new method and tritiated thymidine uptake.
• Individual cases showed significant differences in response between the two assessed techniques.

Conclusions:

• The new technique based on cell count and size distribution is a reliable method for assessing lymphocyte transformation.
• This automated method is suitable for efficiently screening large numbers of unrelated donors for bone marrow transplantation.
• The findings suggest a potential improvement in the speed and scalability of donor selection processes.