FLOW CYTOMETRIC APPLICATIONS IN VIROLOGY

The development of commercial mutichannel air-cooled laser flow cytome ters which allow measurement of one or more characteristic parameters of particles or cells has been furthered due to advances in probes and fluorochromes. FITC-conjugated antibodies specific for selected cell surface molecules or for viral antigen expression in infected cells, f luorescein diacetate for labeling cells as a parameter of viability an d propidium iodide as a DNA stain are generally used. Flow cytometric assays have been developed in virology to study the interactions of vi ruses with the immune system (Hantan Virus), to evaluate the diagnosis of secondary immunodeficiency syndromes (HIV), to analyze the protein and DNA content of virally infected cells during the cell cycle (SV40 ), to detect immediate early, early or late antigens in HCMV- infected cells, to assess the HCMV persistence in mononuclear cells,for use as a model for studying virus attachment to cellular receptors (EBV - ec hovirus), to screen and evaluate antiviral agents (Influenza C, HCMV, HSV, HIV) and to quantify antigens or antibodies simultaneously agains t various viruses (HCMV and HSV) or against different antigenic glycop roteins (HIV). This technology has thus become an important tool for t he clinical virology and microbial serology laboratories.