[Detection of the production of intracellular cytokines by T lymphocytes using flow cytometry--methodologic problems].

The method of assessment of intracellular proteins by means of flow cytometry makes it possible to evaluate the production of different cytokines by a clearly defined cell (sub-population type, state of cell activation). If the method should become a routine functional test, it must be standardized. This was the objective of our work when, based on data in the literature, we detected all controversial points and investigated them experimentally.