Test Includes:
CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD10, CD19, CD20, CD23, CD25, CD38, CD45; HLA-DR; kappa; lambda

Specimen:
Fresh lymph node, spleen, extranodal solid tissue, biopsy or needle aspirate

Volume:
0.5-1.0 cm³

Container:
Lymph node transport bottle

Collection:
Aseptically, cut tissue in pieces and place in lymph node transport bottle. If aspirate is submitted, rinse needle in transport medium. Submit at room temperature using Lymph Node Transport Kit (supplied by the Hospital). Submit specimen so it will arrive in the laboratory Monday through Saturday and within 24 hours of surgical removal. Specimens cannot be held over the weekend. To avoid transportation delays, submit specimen on the day of collection. If indicated on the request form, testing can be postponed until the laboratory is notified to continue or cancel the test. Please state on the test request form the date and time of collection and the name and phone number of the pathologist responsible for the histologic or cytologic diagnosis.

Storage:
Maintain specimen at room temperature.

Causes for Rejection:
Specimen frozen; specimen in formalin or other fixative; contaminated transport medium. Viability and staining for CD45 (leukocyte common antigen) is performed on all specimens prior to testing.

Use:
Immunophenotyping is useful in detecting and characterizing non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Limitations:
Immunophenotyping must be used in conjunction with histology for the diagnosis of lymphoma. This profile is not useful in the diagnosis of Hodgkin disease.

Methodology:
Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry

Additional Information:
Lymphomas are biologically complex neoplasms of the immune system. Numerous classification schemes have been developed based on morphologic features. This limited approach is often unreliable. Immunophenotyping, by immunohistochemistry and/or flow cytometry, has emerged as a valuable adjunct to conventional morphologic diagnosis and classification. Flow cytometry offers the advantage of rapid multiparameter analysis. Combining light scatter characteristics with patterns of antigen expression and DNA content provides biological information that is useful in making a diagnosis and assessing prognosis. Various gating strategies can be employed to enhance the detection of minor populations, thus providing a level of sensitivity comparable to molecular methods (gene rearrangement studies).