Assessment of Immunotoxicity by Multiparameter Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry is a unique technology useful in the examination of effects of immunotoxic agents on target cells of the immune system. The purpose of this workshop was to provide an overview of the use of flow cytometry in new and established models of immunotoxicity, with emphasis on the potential applications, assay validation, and potential pitfalls. This overview begins with a discussion of methods useful in the assessment of Ca²⁺-dependent mechanisms of lymphoid cell activation in surface marker-defined human B cells, T cells, and monocytes. A discussion of the use of flow cytometry in analysis of apoptosis is also presented in this paper. The second paper presents data on the development and use of flow cytometry as an alternative to a Cr⁵¹release assay for an assessment of cytotoxic T cell activation. The use of surface markers for characterizing and distinguishing the effects of chemical irritants from sensitizers is next presented, followed by an overview of the use of fluorescent probes to assess cell thiol status and overall oxidant-induced injury to lymphoid cells. Finally, an interlaboratory study designed to compare and evaluate the use of flow cytometry procedures in rat splenic cell subtyping is presented. Overall, these studies demonstrate the utility of flow cytometry assays in immunotoxicologic research, but further efforts are needed in the validation of many of these assays for routine use in immunotoxicologic testing.