Reagent for blood cell counting and blood analysis method

Abstract

Disclosed is a novel reagent for blood cell counting and a novel blood analysis method, which enable blood cells such as leukocytes to be counted with high accuracy by dissociating platelet aggregates in capillary blood collected from a living body. The reagent for blood cell counting is used to dilute capillary blood collected from a living body to prepare a blood sample in order to count blood cells in the collected capillary blood using a particle analyzer, and is an aqueous solution containing a chloroquine salt.

1 . A reagent for blood cell counting which is used to dilute capillary blood collected from a living body to prepare a blood sample in order to count blood cells in the collected capillary blood using a particle analyzer, wherein the reagent for blood cell counting is an aqueous solution containing a chloroquine salt. 
     
     
         2 . The reagent of  claim 1 , wherein the chloroquine salt is contained at a concentration of 10 g/L or more. 
     
     
         3 . The reagent of  claim 1 , wherein the reagent further contains a surfactant having hemolytic activity. 
     
     
         4 . The reagent of  claim 2 , wherein the reagent further contains a surfactant having hemolytic activity. 
     
     
         5 . The reagent of  claim 3 , wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         6 . The reagent of  claim 4 , wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         7 . The reagent of  claim 3 , wherein the surfactant is contained at a concentration of 10-50 g/L. 
     
     
         8 . The reagent of  claim 6 , wherein the surfactant is contained at a concentration of 10-50 g/L. 
     
     
         9 . The reagent of  claim 1 , wherein the reagent further contains an electrolyte so as to adjust an osmotic pressure of the reagent to 200-600 Osm/kg. 
     
     
         10 . The reagent of  claim 8 , wherein the reagent further contains an electrolyte so as to adjust an osmotic pressure of the reagent to 200-600 Osm/kg. 
     
     
         11 . The reagent of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum value of a relative frequency of valleys in distribution where a tailing portion of a ghost peak and a leading portion of a leukocyte peak in a leukocyte volume histogram, which is obtained when introducing the blood sample into the particle analyzer, overlap with each other lies within a particle volume range of 35 to 50 fL. 
     
     
         12 . The reagent of  claim 10 , wherein a minimum value of a relative frequency of valleys in distribution where a tailing portion of a ghost peak and a leading portion of a leukocyte peak in a leukocyte volume histogram, which is obtained when introducing the blood sample into the particle analyzer, overlap with each other lies within a particle volume range of 35 to 50 fL. 
     
     
         13 . The reagent of  claim 1 , wherein the reagent further contains an anti-aggregation agent. 
     
     
         14 . The reagent of  claim 12 , wherein the reagent further contains an anti-aggregation agent. 
     
     
         15 . A blood analysis method in which blood cells in capillary blood collected from a living body are counted by a particle analyzer, the method comprising:
 collecting the capillary blood from the living body;   diluting the collected capillary blood with a reagent for blood cell counting, which is an aqueous solution containing a chloroquine salt, thereby preparing a blood sample; and   introducing the blood sample into the particle analyzer and counting leukocytes in the blood sample by the particle analyzer.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the counting of the leukocytes comprises determining a count start volume in a particle volume range of 35 to 50 fL and counting particles having a volume equal to or larger than the determined count start volume as the leukocytes. 
     
     
         17 . A dilution bottle in which a reagent for blood cell counting, which is an aqueous solution containing a chloroquine salt, is received and sealed. 
     
     
         18 . The dilution bottle of  claim 17 , wherein the reagent for blood cell counting is received in an amount of 100-500 times based on a volume of a blood sample collected by a particle analyzer that uses the dilution bottle. 
     
     
         19 . The dilution bottle of  claim 18 , wherein a membrane which is broken by a tip of a capillary provided in the particle analyzer is provided at an inlet formed at a bottom of a container of the dilution bottle, and a seal is attached to an air hole formed at a top of the container to seal the reagent for blood cell counting. 
     
     
         20 . A particle analyzer configured to determine a count start volume in a particle volume range of 35 to 50 fL and to count particles having a volume equal to or larger than the determined count start volume as leukocytes included in capillary blood collected from a living body in a blood cell counting process that uses a reagent for blood cell counting, which is an aqueous solution containing a chloroquine salt.