Flow cytometric quantitation of opsonophagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans using a whole blood microassay.

Flow cytometric assays for quantifying polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) function involve peripheral blood fractionation methods. However, most are of limited use for conditions like pediatrics and thalassemia, as they may require large blood volumes or complicated by red blood cell contamination. In whole blood assay, 500-mul aliquots of normal or thalassemic whole blood were incubated with bis-carboxyethyl-carboxyfluorescein pentaacetoxymethylester (BCECF-AM)-labeled Candida albicans cells and phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-CD13 monoclonal antibody for PMNs.