Multiparameter Flow Cytometry Applied Toward Diagnosis of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma

摘要

The successful application of flow cytometry toward the automated diagnosis of cervical cancer rests on the selection of pathognomonic markers. Because no single marker has yet displayed the necessary specificity and selectivity, multiparameter flow cytometry is being used to expand the search to include combinations of two or more markers. The evaluation of a new marker requires many steps and much time. Initially a useful cellular property, such as the amount or activity of a macromolecule, must be identified; a reliable cytochemical probe for this property must then be developed. Typically, a probe is a fluorescent dye that reacts specifically and stoichiometrically with a cell component. It can be a fluorescent dye capable of binding specifically to a macromolecule, a fluorescently labelled antibody, a fluorogenic substrate for an enzyme, or even an optical property of cells such as light scattering or absorption. (ERA citation 03:015935)