41
OCTOBER 16-18, 2011 • PORTLAND, OR
P5
A Novel Flow Cytometry Stimulation Assay using
Cyto-Chex® BCT Tubes for use in Clinical Trials
Lynette M Brown, Jennifer J Stewart
Flow Contract Site Laboratory, LLC, Kirkland, WA,
USA
The Cyto-Chex® BCT tubes from Streck Laboratories
contain a priority fxative that stabilizes the blood at
room temperature making fow cytometry analysis
possible for up to one to two weeks after collection.
This application has been advantageous for doctors
and scientists in remote locations being able to
transport specimens back to a testing lab that is
not in close proximity to the draw site. These BCT
tubes have also become very popular for use in
clinical research trials for fow cytometry testing since
humans are drawn from multiple sites and then the
specimens are shipped to a central laboratory. One
disadvantage of the tube is that since it contains a
fxative, fow cytometry applications which require
stimulation cannot be performed once the specimen
is exposed to the fxative. In our laboratory we are
working on ways to stimulate the specimen prior to
placing in the Cyto-Chex® BCT tube. In one such
method, we can measure the intracellular cytokine
IL-17A expressed in T cells up to fve days post-
stimulation. This method can also be used to measure
many phosphorylated proteins. These methods will
greatly beneft the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industry in that whole blood specimens can be
stimulated immediately after the draw, fxed and then
shipped to a central testing facility.
POSTER ABSTRACTS