Monitoring dendritic cells in clinical practice using a new whole blood single-platform TruCOUNT assay.

Dendritic cells (DC) from distinct DC subsets are essential contributors to normal human immune responses. Despite this, reliable assays that enable DC to be counted precisely have been slow to evolve. We have now developed a new single-platform flow cytometric assay based on TruCOUNT beads and the whole blood "Lyse/No-Wash" protocol that allows precise counting of the CD14(-) blood DC subsets: CD11c(+)CD16(-) DC, CD11c(+)CD16(+) DC, CD123(hi) DC, CD1c(+) DC and BDCA-3(+) DC. This assay requires 50 microl of whole blood; does not rely on a hematology blood analyser for the absolute DC counts; allows DC counting in EDTA samples 24 h after collection; and is suitable for cord blood and peripheral blood. The data is highly reproducible with intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation less than 3% and 11%, respectively. This assay does not produce the DC-T lymphocyte conjugates that result in DC counting abnormalities in conventional gradient-density separation procedures. Using the TruCOUNT assay, we established that absolute blood DC counts reduce with age in healthy individuals. In preliminary studies, we found a significantly lower absolute blood CD11c(+)CD16(+) DC count in stage III/IV versus stage I/II breast carcinoma patients and a lower absolute blood CD123(hi) DC count in multiple myeloma patients, compared to age-matched controls. These data indicate that scientific progress in DC counting technology will lead to the global standardization of DC counting and allow clinically meaningful data to be obtained.

A taste of our quality.

High Point Regional Hospital Laboratory was awarded special recognition in the areas of customer service and human resources for the 1992 CLMA Quality Management Award. This article describes several programs and helpful hints in an effort to share information with other laboratories. These programs and strategies worked for us. We would welcome your ideas in return.

Requirement for sialic acid on the endothelial ligand of a lymphocyte homing receptor.

The entry of blood-borne lymphocytes into most secondary lymphoid organs is initiated by a highly specific adhesive interaction with the specialized cuboidal endothelial cells of high endothelial venules (HEV). The adhesive receptors on lymphocytes that dictate interactions with HEV in different lymphoid organs are called homing receptors, signifying their critical role in controlling organ-selective lymphocyte migration. Considerable work has established that the mouse peripheral lymph node homing receptor (pnHR), defined by the mAb MEL-14, functions as a lectin-like adhesive protein. We have previously shown that sialidase treatment of peripheral lymph node (PN) HEV abrogates lymphocyte attachment to the HEV both in vivo and in vitro. We extend this evidence by demonstrating that Limax agglutinin (LA), a sialic acid-specific lectin, when reacted with HEV exposed in cryostat-cut tissue sections, blocks lymphocyte attachment to PN HEV and, unexpectedly, to the HEV of Peyer's patches (PP) as well. Using a recombinant form of the pnHR as a histochemical probe for its cognate adhesive site (HEV-ligand) on PN HEV, we demonstrate that both sialidase and Limax agglutinin functionally inactive this ligand. It is concluded that the requirement for sialic acid is at the level of the pnHR interaction with its HEV ligand. A distinct sialyloligosaccharide may encode the recognition determinant of a PP HEV ligand.

Direct demonstration of the lectin activity of gp90MEL, a lymphocyte homing receptor.

Considerable evidence implicates gp90MEL as a lymphocyte homing receptor mediating lymphocyte attachment to high endothelial venules of lymph nodes in mouse. The protein appears to function as a calcium-dependent, lectin-like receptor as inferred primarily by the ability of specific carbohydrates to block its function and by the presence of a calcium-type lectin domain in its primary sequence. An ELISA assay is described which provides the first demonstration that the isolated protein has lectin activity and allows a further definition of its carbohydrate specificity. In addition to the monosaccharides mannose-6-phosphate and fructose-1-phosphate, ligand activity is shown for the sulfated glycolipid, sulfatide, and for two sulfated fucose-containing polysaccharides (fucoidin and egg jelly coat) from nonmammalian sources.

Intravenously injected sialidase inactivates attachment sites for lymphocytes on high endothelial venules.

Blood-borne lymphocytes initiate entry into secondary lymphoid organs, such as peripheral lymph nodes (PN) and gut-associated Peyer's patches (PP), by a highly specific adhesive interaction between the lymphocytes and the endothelium of specialized blood vessels known as a high endothelial venules (HEV). The selectivity with which functional subpopulations of lymphocytes migrate into particular lymphoid organs is believed to be regulated by the expression of cell adhesion receptors and complementary ligands on lymphocytes and HEV, respectively. The entry of lymphocytes into PN and PP has clearly been shown to involve distinct receptor-ligand pairs. Employing the Stamper-Woodruff in vitro adhesion assay, which measures lymphocyte attachment to HEV in cryostat-cut sections of lymphoid organs, we have previously shown that treatment of PN sections with two different sialidases inactivates HEV-adhesive ligands, whereas treatment of PP tissue sections has no effect on HEV-adhesive function. We now report that in vivo exposure of HEV to sialidase (after i.v. injection of the enzyme) also selectively prevents subsequent in vitro attachment of lymphocytes to PN HEV but not to PP HEV. Consistent with this organ-selective impairment of HEV-adhesive function by sialidase, i.v. injection of the enzyme is shown to prevent short term lymphocyte accumulation within peripheral lymph nodes while having no significant effect on accumulation in PP, blood, or nonlymphoid organs. Histologic examination with the sialic acid-specific lectin from Limax flavus verified that i.v. injected sialidase effectively removes stainable sialic acid moieties from HEV in both PN and PP. This study confirms that sialic acid is required for the adhesive function of PN HEV-ligands. A role for sialic acid as either a recognition determinant or as a regulatory molecule can be envisioned. In view of the fact that many pathogens release sialidase and cause substantially elevated serum levels of this enzyme, the present observations may have pathophysiologic significance. One mechanism by which such pathogens may avoid destruction is to inactivate susceptible HEV-ligands and disrupt the entry of lymphocytes into lymphoid organs where immune responses against the pathogens would normally be initiated.

Surface roughness and edge geometries in hemolysis with rotating disk flow.

Judging biocompatibility of materials with blood includes assessment of hemolysis resulting from flow in contact with those materials. Such hemolysis is influenced in part by the surface roughness and specific hydrodynamic features of the device used. Using a rotating-disk device, with polyethylene disks and human blood, it was shown that roughness under 4 microns has negligible effect and that hemolysis increases sharply for roughness above about 11 microns. Gross roughness (65 microns) causes qualitatively different hemolysis kinetics but not as severe hemolysis as extrapolated from low-roughness data. In the disk geometry, the corner is a key region which generates high hemolysis and thus minor alterations cause hemolytic variations which may tend to obscure materials influences. A series of corner-beveled polycarbonate disks were tested in comparison with the normal square corner and were found always to cause greater hemolysis. Tapering the bevel inward, so the taper angle was on the order of 2 degrees-4 degrees, reduced hemolysis relative to the 45 degree bevel but still was more hemolytic than the flat disk. Evidence suggests that glassy plastics can be machined with more reproducibility at the corners than plastics above their Tg such as polyethylene. General device design problems regarding hemolysis are discussed.

Cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling of archeological sites in northern chile.

Cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling procedures are used to test Chilean site relationships derived by traditional archeological methodologies. The results tend to confirm the intuitive evaluations but clearly indicate the value of computerized statistical analyses for this kind of comparative study.