Published by Anthony G Pietrantoni on
Many researchers and clinicians have issues with keeping their whole blood or CSF samples viable over time. Whether the reason is because the collection occurred on a Friday afternoon with no lab analysis available until Monday, or collecting a large batch of samples to send out to the lab at the other end or the state, cellular degradation can be a problem. Don’t let this happen to you.
Without stabilization, flow cytometric analysis of blood samples must be performed within 48 hours of venepuncture, as apoptosis and proteolytic degradation of cellular markers will detrimentally affect the immunophenotypic profile. Blood samples older than 48 hours are often no longer suitable for flow cytometric examination, exhibiting indistinguishable cell subsets and inaccurate absolute cell counts leading to erroneous clinical results. This may require a fresh sample to be taken, incurring extra costs and delayed analysis.
Various assays that are used for analyzing the immunophenotypic profile of whole blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), are compromised because the cell surface antigens start degrading immediately upon venipuncture or lumbar puncture, particularly leukocytes within CSF samples. An unwanted result can be painful and costly for repeat drawings. If you have ever had to perform a repeat draw on a child, you know how unpleasant that can be for everyone involved.
TransFix is a patented general purpose reagent that is easy to use and preserves cells and cellular antigens. It has been used to stabilize antigens for up to 14 days prior to analysis, depending on the application.
Key Benefits of TransFix:
The components of TransFix stabilize cellular markers, allowing analysis by flow cytometry to be carried out at a more convenient time for the user. TransFix can be used in clinical diagnostic testing, clinical trials and a wide range of research applications.