[Flow cytometry in the detection of residual disease]

Flow cytometry is a biological analysis technics whose applications may be used for minimal residual disease evaluation. From these applications we retained the DNA content measurement (with DNA index), surface markers analysis, and flow karyotyping. The threshold cell aneuploidy detection depend of the DNA index of leukemia cell population. The establishment of a relation between cell surface markers and malignant character of the cell is difficult to obtain. Study of CALLA antigen in leukemic patients have shown variations of antigenic density with different categories of studied patients. Malignant cells studied at the diagnosis or at the relapse of leukemia have a mean antigenic density higher than normal cells. This fact could be used to evaluate minimal residual disease as shown with recent clinical observations.