A correction required for calculation of DNA ratios in flow cytometric analysis of ploidy.

Flow cytometric measurements of nuclear DNA content often involve the calculation of a DNA index, which compares the DNA fluorescence from two different populations. Such DNA indices have been used to classify aneuploid peaks from tumour tissue into different categories relative to normal diploid cells. This report describes a correction based on the channel for unstained particles that is required if DNA index values are to give a true and reproducible indication of relative DNA content.