Flow cytometric analysis of reticulated platelets.

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Reticulated Platelets (G. Matic, G. Rothe, and G. Schmitz, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany). In the last several years, flow cytometry has emerged as one of the tools of choice in evaluation of platelets. In particular, the distinction between reticulated platelets and mature platelets based on RNA fluorescence has proved to be a vital tool in the clinical hematology laboratory. Further, as is now well understood, it is important to evaluate platelets in whole blood rather than in isolated populations. Platelet quantification in a dual-color whole-blood method is of interest for the characterization of thrombocytopoiesis in (immune)-thrombocytopenia or in the regenerating bone marrow.