Method of detecting hematopoietic progenitor cells

Abstract

Improved method for detecting and/or counting the appearance of hematopoietic progenitor cells which comprises the steps of mixing a blood sample with a reagent capable of detecting immature cells without employing any immunological techniques, obtaining cell information about the thus treated sample using a particle analyzer and constructing a cell distribution profile, delineating a portion of the profile as a zone in which at least one subclass of hematopoietic progenitor cells appear, and counting the cells within the zone. The method is capable of detecting the appearance of hematopoietic progenitor cells in a simple and positive manner.

1. A method for detecting or counting or both detecting and counting hematopoietic progenitor cells, which comprises the steps following:
 treating a blood sample with a reagent which detects immature cells without employing any immunological techniques;  
 obtaining cell information about said treated blood sample using a particle analyzer and constructing a cell distribution profile;  
 delineating a portion of said profile as a zone in which at least one subclass of hematopoietic progenitor cells appear; wherein said profile zone is delineated through the use of a control sample comprising hematopoietic progenitor cells; and  
 counting the cells within said zone.  
 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cell information consists of two items, one representing cell size and the other representing cell interior. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the subclass of hematopoietic progenitor cells is colony forming unit—granulocyte/macrophage; colony forming unit—granulocyte/erythroid/macrophage/megakaryocyte; or colony forming unit—eosinophil. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the reagent detects immature cells without employing an immunological techniques is an aqueous solution containing a nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said control sample comprises hematopoietic progenitor cells which have been separated using anti-CD34 antibody. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the cell information consists of two items, one representing cell size and the other representing the cell interior. 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the subclass of hematopoietic progenitor cells is colony forming unit—granulocyte/macrophage; colony forming unit—granulocyte/erythroid/macrophage/megakaryocyte; or colony forming unit—eosinophil. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the reagent detects immature cells without employing any immunological techniques is an aqueous solution containing a nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the particle analyzer is an optical particle analyzer. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the particle analyzer comprises a flow cytometer. 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the particle analyzer uses an electrical resistance method. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the particle analyzer comprises a RF/DC detection system.