Performance Verification and Establishment of Reference Intervals for Dendritic Cells, γδT Cells, and Follicular...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Clinical Chemistry
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Dendritic cells (DCs), gamma-delta T (γδT) cells, and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are crucial for immune responses.
• Flow cytometry (FCM) offers precise quantification but lacks standardization for clinical use.
• Standardized performance verification and reference intervals are needed for these immune cell subsets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To standardize peripheral DCs, γδT cells, and Tfh cells analysis using FCM.
• To establish performance verification and reference intervals for these immune cell subsets.
• To facilitate broader clinical application of FCM-based immune cell subset analysis.

Main Methods:

• Collected peripheral whole blood from healthy individuals.
• Measured frequencies of DCs, γδT cells, and Tfh cells and their subpopulations via FCM.
• Evaluated sample stability, reportable range, precision, and linearity based on best practices.
• Established reference intervals for the analyzed immune cell subsets.

Main Results:

• Determined sample stability: DCs (24h at 4°C), γδT cells (96h at 4°C/RT), Tfh cells (instability after 24h at 4°C/RT).
• Established reportable ranges: DCs (5000 cells), γδT cells (250 cells), Tfh cells (1000 cells).
• Confirmed intra-assay/interassay precision and linearity met acceptance criteria; established reference intervals.

Conclusions:

• Systematic performance verification and reference intervals were established for DCs, γδT cells, and Tfh cells via FCM.
• This standardization promotes reliable clinical application of these immune cell subset assays.
• The findings support improved diagnostic and monitoring capabilities for immune-related conditions.