Ia. Hagberg et T. Lyberg, Blood platelet activation evaluated by flow cytometry: optimised methods for clinical studies, PLATELETS, 11(3), 2000, pp. 137-150
A variety of flow cytometry techniques are in use to evaluate in vivo blood
platelet activation. We have in this study further developed and optimised
these methods to be suitable for use in clinical studies, By preloading th
e Monovette(R) EDTA vacuum blood sampling tubes with 1/8 vol 4% (w/v) paraf
ormaldehyde (PFA), we were able to assess platelet CD62P (P-selectin) expre
ssion in whole blood with less than 0.2% activated platelets. No washing or
neutralising steps were required to remove excess fixative, Both basal and
agonist-stimulated CD62P expression were stable for at least 48 h after sa
mpling, The standard curve was linear from 1.9 (basal) to 8.1.10(3) (TRAP-s
timulated) molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochrome units (MESF) in phy
coerythrein-conjugated anti-CD62P labelled whole blood samples, These assay
conditions were also well suited for assessment of platelet expression of
CD41, CD42a, CD61 and CD63. The preanalytic storage period was extended fro
m 10 min to at least 2h for platelet PAC-1 and fibrinogen binding analysis
by preloading Monovette(R) citrate tubes with 8/10vol buffer. With PFA prel
oading, blood sampled into citrated tubes could be analysed for fractions o
f microparticles and platelet-platelet aggregates as well as for aggregate
size.