Flow cytometry remains standard for CLL diagnosis and MRD monitoring
This chapter outlines established best practices for clinical flow cytometry in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, detailing standardized protocols for specimen handling, staining, and data analysis. It emphasizes the assay's established role in initial diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and sensitive minimal residual disease detection. These workflows directly support laboratory standardization and therapeutic decision-making for patients receiving targeted agents or immunotherapies. The review serves as a practical reference for diagnostic laboratories implementing or optimizing flow cytometric testing pipelines.
The original study
Clinical Flow Cytometric Testing in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
- Authors
- Nasir N, Stetler-Stevenson M, Wang HW
- Journal
- Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
- Type
- Journal Article
- PMID
- 42814327
Original abstract
Flow cytometry is the cornerstone for establishing the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), owing to its characteristic and well-defined immunophenotype that enables accurate distinction from other leukemias and lymphomas. Beyond diagnosis, flow cytometry provides essential prognostic information and allows sensitive detection of minimal residual disease (MRD), a strong predictor of clinical outcome. CLL MRD assessment is increasingly used to guide risk stratification, therapeutic decision-making, and treatment duration in the era of targeted therapies and immunotherapies. This chapter reviews best practices for specimen collection, processing, staining, and data analysis and summarizes the principles of flow cytometric MRD assessment in CLL.