INITIAL RESULTS OF CENTRAL-EUROPEAN IMMUNOPHENOTYPING QUALITY-CONTROLPROGRAM (CEQUAL)

The new Quality Control Program in Immunophenotyping for Central Europ e (CEQUAL) was created in 1993, Its first formal send-around proficien cy exercise, consisting of a stained stabilised preparation of leukocy tes, took place in November 1993. Forty-one laboratories from Slovakia , Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic participated. Eighty-three p ercent of member laboratories returned results and list mode files. Th e results for each cell population were evaluated for central tendenci es, variability, and overall distribution patterns, Extreme outliers w ere identified and list mode files reviewed for clues to the aberreran t values, When found these reasons were communicated back to member la bs. When extreme outlier values were removed, all coefficient of varia tions (CVs) for lymphocyte populations were below 10%, except for NK c ells, which had a CV of 14.8%. In future send-arounds, unstained and p athologic specimens will be used, This CEQUAL program is the first to function on such a broad international basis. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc .