Flow Cytometry Testing Clinic in McLean VA, Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Gaithersburg MD, and Rockville MD
Flow cytometry testing at Amerimmune Clinic provides precise analysis of immune cells, helping diagnose and manage immune-related conditions with greater accuracy. This advanced technique offers detailed insights into your immune system, aiding in personalized treatment plans. Visit Dr. Oral Alpan, MD, and his team for flow cytometry testing. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you in McLean VA, Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Gaithersburg MD, and Rockville MD.




Table of Contents:
What conditions or diseases can flow cytometry testing help diagnose?
How are samples prepared for flow cytometry testing?
What are the advantages of using flow cytometry over other diagnostic methods?
How long does it take to receive results from flow cytometry testing?
At Amerimmune Clinic, we specialize in advanced diagnostics and personalized care for immune-related conditions, with flow cytometry playing a vital role. This sophisticated laboratory technique allows us to analyze the physical and biochemical properties of cells, offering critical insights into immune system function. It helps us diagnose and manage a range of conditions with greater precision.
Hematological and Immune System Disorders
Flow cytometry is crucial for diagnosing and classifying hematological malignancies, it also aids in evaluating immune cell populations, essential immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases. By providing detailed cell profiles, flow cytometry enhances our ability to tailor treatments, monitor disease progression, and optimize patient outcomes. Whether evaluating complex immune responses or tracking the effectiveness of treatments, this technique is central to our comprehensive care approach.
At Amerimmune Clinic, we leverage advanced flow cytometry techniques to provide comprehensive analyses of cellular characteristics, aiding in the diagnosis and management of immune-related conditions. Accurate and reliable results begin with meticulous sample preparation, tailored specifically to our clinical needs.
• Cell Collection: Our process begins with our expert providers collecting blood samples for our diagnostic lab.
• Erythrocyte Lysis: In blood samples, erythrocytes (red blood cells) are selectively lysed (broken down) and removed to prevent interference with the analysis. This step is crucial for isolating leukocytes (white blood cells), which are the focus of our immune assessments.
• Cell Staining: Our laboratory employs a panel of fluorescently labeled antibodies or dyes, chosen based on the specific markers relevant to the immune conditions we are investigating. This step allows for a detailed characterization of cell populations.
• Cell Fixation: Post-staining, cells may be fixed using agents like paraformaldehyde to preserve their structural integrity, particularly when intracellular staining is required for detailed immune profiling.
• Cytometry Preparation: Stained and fixed cells undergo thorough washing to eliminate unbound antibodies or excess reagents, and are resuspended in a flow cytometry buffer optimized for our diagnostic instruments.
• Run the Sample: The prepared samples are analyzed using our state-of-the-art flow cytometers. Each cell passes through a laser beam individually, allowing us to detect emitted light from fluorescent labels and accurately quantify cell populations based on size, shape, and marker expression.
Our commitment to meticulous sample preparation in flow cytometry ensures the highest accuracy and reproducibility of data, empowering us to deliver reliable insights into our patients’ immune health.
Flow cytometry offers significant advantages over traditional diagnostic methods by allowing comprehensive analysis of immune cell populations at the single-cell level. Unlike older techniques that examine cells in bulk, flow cytometry can simultaneously measure multiple parameters, such as cell size, complexity, and specific surface markers, on individual cells. This enables a much more detailed and precise characterization of immune cells, which is crucial for diagnosing and managing complex immune-related conditions.
In addition to its high-resolution capabilities, flow cytometry allows us to distinguish between different cell populations, including rare or abnormal cells that may not be detected with other methods. This level of sensitivity is particularly important for conditions such as immunodeficiencies and infections, where accurate identification of cell types can significantly influence treatment decisions.
Furthermore, flow cytometry can process large numbers of cells quickly, providing results faster than traditional methods, which typically require time-consuming procedures like tissue culture or manual counting. The ability to gather extensive data in a single test makes flow cytometry a powerful tool for both diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of disease progression, allowing for more personalized and effective treatment plans.
At Amerimmune Clinic, we focus on offering comprehensive and timely diagnostic services to support patient care. One advanced technique we utilize is flow cytometry, a laboratory method that analyzes the physical and chemical characteristics of cells in a fluid. This technology is especially valuable in immunophenotyping, which helps us assess the immune profile of our patients, improving the diagnosis and management of various immune-related conditions.
Advantages of Flow Cytometry
Flow cytometry allows us to analyze individual cells with high precision, examining multiple characteristics simultaneously. Unlike traditional methods, this technique can distinguish between different cell populations based on surface markers, offering a more detailed understanding of the immune system. It provides insights into immune cell distribution, activation, and function, which are critical for diagnosing immune system disorders.
To the second paragraph, add this: Because of the complex nature of the test and the demand for accuracy, flow cytometry results are ready in approximately 2 weeks. Each report is accompanied by an interpretation to aid the provider in understanding the findings. The ability to analyze large numbers of cells quickly and accurately enhances diagnostic accuracy and supports personalized treatment plans.
By using flow cytometry, we can offer our patients more precise, efficient, and effective diagnostic services, ensuring that each patient receives the most appropriate and tailored care possible for their specific condition.
At Amerimmune Clinic, we are dedicated to utilizing cutting-edge diagnostic tools like flow cytometry to enhance patient care and outcomes, ensuring that our patients receive accurate and timely information essential for their health management. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you. We serve patients from McLean VA, Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD, Gaithersburg MD, Rockville MD, Vienna VA, IdylWood VA, Lincolnia VA, Groveton VA, Falls Church VA, North Bethesda MD, Takoma Park MD, Montgomery Village MD, Redland MD, Aspen Hill MD, and surrounding areas.
BASOPHIL ACTIVATION AND LYMPHOCYTE IMMUNOPHENOTYPING PANEL (BLIP or BAT COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS BASOPHIL ACTIVATION TESTING) is a functional assay that measures the degree of degranulation following stimulation with allergen or controls by flow cytometry. It correlates directly with histamine release. IT TESTS WITH SAFETy, and a high level of SPECIFICITY and sensitivity IN CONJUNCTION WITH A FOOD CHALLENGE. BAT reduces the need for in vivo procedures, such as intradermal tests and allergen challenges, which can cause allergic reactions of unpredictable severity. BASOPHIL TESTING OPTIMIZES MANAGEMENT OF FOOD ALLERGIC PATIENTS, ALLOWING FOR TARGETED THERAPY SUCH AS ORAL FOOD CHALLENGE OR ORAL IMMUNOTHERAPY. The results should be interpreted in the context of clinical history and other food allergy testing results. Learn more about it by reading our paper published in Allergy.
Markers include: Basophil Identification- IgE, CD123, CD193, Basophil Response- CD63, CD203c, and Lymphocyte Immune Phenotyping- CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD20, CD45, CD45RO, CD56, CD294
Our Progenitor Eosinophil Immunophenotyping Panel (PEIP) identifies and semi-quantitates the eosinophil progenitor cells in the peripheral blood. In patients with eosinophilic derived inflammatory diseases, it is thought that eosinophils originating from hematopoietic stem cells located in the bone marrow are mobilized to sites of inflammation. It is at these peripheral sites of inflammation where the eosinophilic progenitor (EOP) cells differentiate and proliferate. PEIP offers your patients a minimally-invasive alternative to monitoring disease activity.
Markers include:
lineage: (CD2, CD3, CD4, CD7, CD8, CD10, CD11b, CD14, CD19, CD20, CD56, CD235a), CD45RA, CD125, CD123, CD38, CD34.
Reportable: CD45RA-CD43High+ % of all cells, CD45RA-CD34High+ Absolute Number (Cells/mL Blood), EOP cells-% of all cells, EOP cells-Absolute Number (Cells/mL Blood), Ratio of EOP cells: CD45RA-CD43High+, % of all Cells, Absolute number.

Additional Services You May Need
▸ Allergy Consultation
▸ Immunology Consultation
▸ Allergen Immunotherapy
▸ Allergy Vials
▸ Allergy Shots
▸ Biological Drug Administration
▸ Diagnostic Testing
▸ Skin Prick Testing
▸ Allergy Patch Testing
▸ Oral Food Challenge Testing
▸ Nasal Swab Culture Testing
▸ Routine Venipuncture Testing
▸ Telehealth
▸ Immunology Testing
▸ Food Allergy Testing

Additional Services You May Need
▸ Allergy Consultation
▸ Immunology Consultation
▸ Allergen Immunotherapy
▸ Allergy Vials
▸ Allergy Shots
▸ Biological Drug Administration
▸ Diagnostic Testing
▸ Skin Prick Testing
▸ Allergy Patch Testing
▸ Oral Food Challenge Testing
▸ Nasal Swab Culture Testing
▸ Routine Venipuncture Testing
▸ Telehealth
▸ Immunology Testing
▸ Food Allergy Testing