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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Simultaneous Study of the Recruitment of Monocyte Subpopulations Under Flow In Vitro
Published on: November 26, 2018
Blood Monocytes and Their Subsets: Established Features and Open Questions
1Helmholtz Zentrum München, Asklepios Fachkliniken München-Gauting , Gauting , Germany.
Insights
Modern flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies enable precise identification and subdivision of blood monocytes into classical, intermediate, and non-classical subsets, offering new insights for disease management.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Historically, monocyte identification relied on morphology, limiting clinical relevance.
- Standard hematology counters provided limited information on monocyte populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the current methods for identifying and enumerating blood monocyte subsets.
- To highlight the clinical significance of monocyte subset analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry for monocyte identification and enumeration.
- Employing specific cell surface markers to differentiate monocytes from dendritic cells.
Main Results:
- Blood monocytes can be reliably subdivided into classical, intermediate, and non-classical subsets.
- Subset analysis reveals informative changes previously undetected by standard methods.
Conclusions:
- Flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies have revolutionized monocyte analysis.
- Monocyte subset enumeration provides valuable data for disease management and clinical decision-making.
Abstract:
In contrast to the past reliance on morphology, the identification and enumeration of blood monocytes are nowadays done with monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry and this allows for subdivision into classical, intermediate, and non-classical monocytes. Using specific cell surface markers, dendritic cells in blood can be segregated from these monocytes. While in the past, changes in monocyte numbers as determined in standard hematology counters have not had any relevant clinical impact, the subset analysis now has uncovered informative changes that may be used in management of disease.
