Evaluation of red blood cell lysing solutions for the detection of intracellular antigens by flow cytometry

When analyzing leukocyte cell surface antigens by flow cytometry, leukocytes are usually first labeled in whole blood and the red blood cells are finally lysed with lysing solutions. The erythrocytes are lysed, but the leukocytes are expected to remain intact. Six commercial red blood cell lysing methods were investigated for possible leukocyte permeabilization effect. The effectiveness of permeabilization was studied by propidium iodide staining, and the detectability of intracellular antigens was studied by using monoclonal antibodies toward two model antigens. Most of the lysing methods caused permeabilization of at least part of the leukocytes, but only one method, already found in our previous studies, was applicable for complete permeabilization of leukocytes and for detection of intracellular antigens alone or simultaneously with the cell surface antigens.