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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Flow Cytometry-based Assay for the Monitoring of NK Cell Functions
Published on: October 30, 2016
Comprehensive Flow-Cytometry-Based Immunophenotyping Analysis for Accurate Diagnosis and Management of Extranodal
Jian-Chao Wang1,2, Xue-Qin Deng1, Wei-Ping Liu1
1Department of Pathology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Background:
Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL-N) is an aggressive lymphoma typically diagnosed by examining small biopsy specimens. Flow cytometry is very valuable for the diagnosis and classification of several kinds of hematolymphoid neoplasms but has not been widely used for diagnosing ENKTL-N.
Methods:
We systematically investigated the flow cytometry characteristics of 26 solid tissue biopsy specimens of ENKTL-N at initial diagnosis and compared the results with those from reactive NK-cells in the nasal/nasopharyngeal region and peripheral blood.
Results:
Our study revealed seven flow cytometry (FCM)-based characteristics for distinguishing between the neoplastic cells and reactive NK-cells, including (1) the proportion of NK-cells among total lymphocytes >10%; (2) forward scatter >105 ; (3) mean fluorescence intensity of CD56 > 5,000; (4) aberrant antigen expression or loss; (5) skewed killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor repertoire; (6) homogenously positive for CD38; and (7) positive for CD30 or CD336. FCM-based immunophenotyping is a potentially feasible and convenient approach for discriminating cellular lineages, evaluating the activation status of NK-cells, and selecting potential therapy targets of ENKTL-N.
Conclusions:
Flow cytometry is very valuable for facilitating routine diagnosis, confirming clonality, predicting the cellular lineage, and guiding individual treatment for ENKTL-N. © 2019 International Clinical Cytometry Society.
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