RW was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation, China (No. 7222059), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82002130), XZ was supported by the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (No. 2019-I2M-5-026).

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Children&#39;s Hospital, Capital Medical University (Approval Number: 2020-k-85). Informed consent of human subjects was waived as only residual samples after clinical testing were used in this study. Two labs are involved in this study. The transferring lab is where the standardized method was developed using one flow cytometer. The cytometer in this lab is hereinafter referred to as cytometer A. The test method lab</stro...

<ol>
	<li>Cabanski, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flow+cytometric+method+transfer:+Recommendations+for+best+practice.">Flow cytometric method transfer: Recommendations for best practice.</a> Cytometry Part B. Clinical Cytometry. 100 (1), 52-62 (2021).</li><li>Le Lann, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Standardization+procedure+for+flow+cytometry+data+harmonization+in+prospective+multicenter+studies.">Standardization procedure for flow cytometry data harmonization in prospective multicenter studies.</a> Scientific Reports. 10 (1), 11567 (2020).</li><li>Linskens, E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improved+standardization+of+flow+cytometry+diagnostic+screening+of+primary+immunodeficiency+by+software-based+automated+gating.">Improved standardization of flow cytometry diagnostic screening of primary immunodeficiency by software-based automated gating.</a> Frontiers in Immunology. 11, 584646 (2020).</li><li>Glier, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Standardization+of+8-color+flow+cytometry+across+different+flow+cytometer+instruments:+A+feasibility+study+in+clinical+laboratories+in+Switzerland.">Standardization of 8-color flow cytometry across different flow cytometer instruments: A feasibility study in clinical laboratories in Switzerland.</a> Journal of Immunological Methods. 475, 112348 (2019).</li><li>Wang, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+epidemiology+and+disease+burden+of+children+hospitalized+for+viral+infections+within+the+family+Flaviviridae+in+China:+A+national+cross-sectional+study.">The epidemiology and disease burden of children hospitalized for viral infections within the family Flaviviridae in China: A national cross-sectional study.</a> PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 16 (7), e0010562 (2022).</li><li>Ding, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reference+values+for+peripheral+blood+lymphocyte+subsets+of+healthy+children+in+China.">Reference values for peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of healthy children in China.</a> The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 142 (3), 970-973 (2018).</li><li>Zhang, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Detection+of+polyfunctional+T+cells+in+children+vaccinated+with+Japanese+encephalitis+vaccine+via+the+flow+cytometry+technique.">Detection of polyfunctional T cells in children vaccinated with Japanese encephalitis vaccine via the flow cytometry technique.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (187), e64671 (2022).</li><li>Yu, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CD4(+)+CD25+(+)+CD127+(low/-)+T+cells:+a+more+specific+Treg+population+in+human+peripheral+blood.">CD4(+) CD25 (+) CD127 (low/-) T cells: a more specific Treg population in human peripheral blood.</a> Inflammation. 35 (6), 1773-1180 (2012).</li><li>Kalina, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reproducibility+of+flow+cytometry+through+standardization:+opportunities+and+challenges.">Reproducibility of flow cytometry through standardization: opportunities and challenges.</a> Cytometry Part A. 97 (2), 137-147 (2020).</li><li>Sommer, U., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Implementation+of+highly+sophisticated+flow+cytometry+assays+in+multicenter+clinical+studies:+considerations+and+guidance.">Implementation of highly sophisticated flow cytometry assays in multicenter clinical studies: considerations and guidance.</a> Bioanalysis. 7 (10), 1299-1311 (2015).</li><li>Glier, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comments+on+EuroFlow+standard+operating+procedures+for+instrument+setup+and+compensation+for+BD+FACS+Canto+II,+Navios+and+BD+FACS+Lyric+instruments.">Comments on EuroFlow standard operating procedures for instrument setup and compensation for BD FACS Canto II, Navios and BD FACS Lyric instruments.</a> Journal of Immunological Methods. 475, 112680 (2019).</li></ol>

Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets can help understand the changes in cell-mediated adaptive immunity after vaccination in children. In clinical applications, unexpected situations occur, such as a failure to detect samples in a timely manner or the replacement of a flow cytometer; therefore, rapid standardized methods that facilitate transfers between flow cytometers in different labs are needed9,10,11. He...

The standardization of flow cytometry is useful for the comparability of results obtained from different cytometers across different laboratories and study centers, and conducive to the mutual recognition of results to improve work efficiency. An increasing number of scenarios require standardization. During the drug development process, flow cytometry standardization is important, as a developed and validated assay will support the whole drug development process from preclinical to clinical analysis. Flow cytometric methods are frequently transferred between the pharmaceutical industry and collaborating laboratories1. Moreover, it is essential to obtain comparable data from multicentric clinical studies. For example, a standardization workflow was developed in the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Multicenter Clinical Research Project to obtain comparable data from multicentric flow cytometry2.
The standardization of flow cytometry methods is challenging. The challenges experienced across labs are attributed to the lack of standardized materials, software compatibility issues, inconsistencies in instrument setup, and the use of different configurations among different flow cytometers and divergent gating strategies between the centers3,4. Therefore, it is important to conduct a gap analysis between laboratories. Sample access, quality systems, personnel qualifications, and instrument configuration must be reviewed to ensure that the requirements are met.
At present, children vaccinated with the Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine have a significantly reduced incidence of JE5. Monitoring peripheral blood immune cells can help understand the changes in cell-mediated adaptive immunity after vaccination, and the correlation between the changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and the effects of vaccination. Due to the limited stability of whole blood samples, evaluations of vaccine efficacy are often performed in multiple centers. For this analysis, we defined na&#239;ve CD8+ or CD4+ T cells as CD27+ CD45RA+, central memory T cells (TCM) as CD27+ CD45RA-, effector memory T cells (TEM) as CD27- CD45RA-,&#160;and terminally differentiated effector memory T cells (TEMRA) as CD27- CD45RA+. CD19+ B cells can be separated into populations that express CD27 versus IgD6,7, na&#239;ve B cells express CD27n memory B cells (mBCs) can be identified based on the expression of IgD6, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) can be identified as CD4+CD25++CD127low 8. To establish a standardized flow cytometry experiment to achieve the consistency and comparability of experimental results in multiple centers, a rapid and feasible standardization method was established to facilitate the transfer of protocols across different flow cytometers for the detection of lymphocytes in the whole blood of JE-vaccinated children. Six healthy children (2 years old) were recruited from Beijing Children&#39;s Hospital, Capital Medical University. After receiving a prime and boost vaccination with a live-attenuated JE SA14-14-2 vaccine less than 6 months prior, peripheral blood samples were collected from the volunteers. Highly comparable data were obtained from different instruments following standardized procedures, which is helpful for multicenter assessments.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>BD CompBeads Anti-Mouse Ig, &#954;/Negative Control Compensation Particles Set</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>552843</td>
			<td>compensation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD FACSCanto</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>FACSCanto</td>
			<td>flow Cytometry A in the transferring lab</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD FACSDiva CS&#38;T Research Beads</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>655051</td>
			<td>define flow cytometer baseline and track cytometer performance</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Horizon BV421 Mouse Anti-Human CD127</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>562436</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Horizon BV605 Mouse Anti-Human CD27</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>562656</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Horizon V500 Mouse Anti-Human CD45</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>560777</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD LSRFortessa</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>LSRFortessa</td>
			<td>flow Cytometry B in the test method lab</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD OptiBuild BB700 Mouse Anti-Human CD19</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>745907</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD OptiBuild R718 Mouse Anti-Human CD8</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>751953</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Pharmingen APC Mouse Anti-Human CD45RA</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>550855</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Pharmingen APC-H7 Mouse Anti-Human CD3</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>560176</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Pharmingen FITC Mouse Anti-Human CD4</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>566320</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Pharmingen PE Mouse Anti-Human CD25</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>555432</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Pharmingen PE-Cy7 Mouse Anti-Human IgD</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>561314</td>
			<td>Fluorescent antibody&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Brilliant Staining Buffer Plus</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>566385</td>
			<td>Staining Buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>5810</td>
			<td>Cell centrifugation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge Tube</td>
			<td>BD Falcon</td>
			<td>BD-35209715</td>
			<td>15 mL centrifuge tube</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CS&#38;T IVD Beads</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>662414</td>
			<td>standard beads to setup cytometer settings in different flow cytometer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lysing Solution 10x Concentrate</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>349202</td>
			<td>lysing red blood cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate-buffered Saline (PBS)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10010-023</td>
			<td>PBS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Round-bottom test tube</td>
			<td>BD Falcon</td>
			<td>352235</td>
			<td>5 mL test tube</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

standardization of transfer across labs between flow cytometers for detection of lymphocytes in japanese encephalitis vaccinated children

An increasing number of laboratories need to collect data from multiple flow cytometers, especially for research projects performed across multiple centers. The challenges of using two flow cytometers in different labs include the lack of standardized materials, software compatibility issues, inconsistencies in instrument setup, and the use of different configurations for different flow cytometers. To establish a standardized flow cytometry experiment to achieve the consistency and comparability of experimental results across multiple centers, a rapid and feasible standardization method was established to transfer parameters across different flow cytometers. 
The methods developed in this study allowed the transfer of experimental settings and analysis templates between two flow cytometers in different laboratories for the detection of lymphocytes in Japanese encephalitis (JE)-vaccinated children. A consistent fluorescence intensity was obtained between the two cytometers using fluorescence standard beads to establish the cytometer settings. Comparable results were obtained in two laboratories with different types of instruments. Using this method, we can standardize analysis for evaluating the immune function of JE-vaccinated children in different laboratories with different instruments, diminish the differences in data and results among flow cytometers in multiple centers, and provide a feasible approach for the mutual accreditation of laboratory results. The standardization method of flow cytometer experiments will ensure the effective performance of research projects across multiple centers.

Figure 1&#160;shows a global worksheet of the target value template for the CST bright beads. Using an FSC/SSC plot, a polygon gate is drawn to select the CST bright beads. Histogram plots of 10 fluorescence channels were obtained for the CST bright beads: FITC, PE, BB700, PE-Cy7, APC, R718, APC-H7, BV421, V500, and BV605. The target value for each parameter is displayed by showing the median within the histogram gates in Table 2. The screenshots of templates and parameter s...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Standardization of Transfer across Labs between Flow Cytometers for Detection of Lymphocytes in Japanese Encephalitis Vaccinated Children at JoVE.com

Standardization of Transfer across Labs between Flow Cytometers for Detection of Lymphocytes in Japanese Encephalitis Vaccinated Children

In this study, a method was developed to facilitate the transfer of experimental settings and analysis templates between two flow cytometers in two laboratories for the detection of lymphocytes in Japanese encephalitis-vaccinated children. The standardization method for the flow cytometer experiments will allow research projects to be effectively conducted in multiple centers.

An increasing number of laboratories need to collect data from multiple flow cytometers, especially for research projects performed across multiple ...

The standardization method of the flow cytometer provide a feasible approach for the mutual accreditation of laboratory results and ensures the consistency of results with research projects across multiple centers. The method minimize time consumption is easy to execute, is equipped to automate, analyzes template, and can dramatically reduce the requirement of data analysis. Begin creating a new configuration in the software of cytometer A, from the transferring lab, by clicking the cytometer button, and choosing view configurations.Right click the base configurations folder in the configuration list, choose new folder and rename it. Next, create a new configuration by right clicking the base configuration and copying it. Right click the new folder and paste the base configuration before renaming the new configuration, Standardized method transfer"Drag the parameter name, such as, FETC from the parameters list, onto the appropriate detector 530/30, also edit additional parameters to the new configuration.To standardize the experiment in the transferring lab, run a performance check using this cytometer A setup and track the beads to verify that the cytometer A is performing well. Right click cytometer A settings in the software browser window and create a worksheet by selecting the application settings. Then use an unstained sample to adjust the photo multiplier tube, or PMT voltages, of the forward scattering area, or FSC, and side scattering area, or SSC, and all fluorescence parameters.Save the application settings by right-clicking the experiment cytometer settings and selecting application settings. To add compensation controls automatically, click on the experiment button and select the compensation setup menu, before selecting create compensation controls. Record data for all compensation control beads.Once done, click on the experiment and select compensation setup, calculate the compensation automatically, before recording the data for single cell stained controls. use CD45 RAA APC to modify the compensation value of R7-18 to 15%APC, use CD19 BB700 to modify the compensation value of APC H7 to 14%BB700, and use CD8 R7-18 to modify the compensation value of APC H7 to 60%R7-18. After recording the data for the CST beads, create a global worksheet of the target value template for the CST bright beads, once done, run the samples on the flow cytometer array and collect 25, 000 lymphocytes.Create a global worksheet of the analysis template for the samples and save the experimental template on cytometer A.Export the experimental template using the CD-ROM. To transfer the experimental template to cytometer B in the test lab, conduct a performance check using CST beads to verify that cytometer B is performing well. Import the experimental template from cytometer A and create an experiment for cytometer B using the template.Using the same lot of CST beads adjust the fluorescent parameter voltages for each fluorescence channel to match the previous MFI instrument. If needed, adjust the FSC voltage using the unstained sample. Right click on the experimental cytometer settings and select application settings to save the application settings.Next, modify the compensation value of R7-18 to 15%APC using CD45 RA APC. Use CD19 BB700 to modify the compensation value of APC H7 to 24%BB700. And use CD8 R7-18 to modify the compensation value of APC H7 to 60%R7-18.After compensation value modification, run the samples on the flow cytometer B and collect 25, 000 lymphocytes. In a global worksheet of the target value template for the cytometer setup and tracking, or CST bright beads, the histogram plots of 10 fluorescence channels were obtained, the target value for each parameter was displayed by showing the median within the histogram gates. the dot plots of the sample obtained using the cytometer A and B after instrument standardization, demonstrated the consistency of data between different instruments using an automatic analysis template.No significant difference was observed when the results from six samples were compared across two different instrument models. The results of 15 lymphoid subsets obtained from different instruments using the standardized method acquired highly comparable data. The same configuration name, creating the template, and making the ecotech values of safety beads in different instruments are critical steps in this protocol.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

861 vistas.  Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Shanghai) Co Ltd. El método de estandarización del citómetro de flujo proporciona un enfoque factible para la acreditación mutua de los resultados de laboratorio y garantiza la coherencia de los resultados con los proyectos de investigación en múltiples centros. El método de minimizar el consumo de tiempo es fácil de ejecutar, está equipado para automatizar, analiza la plantilla y puede reducir drásticamente el requisito de análisis de datos. Comience a crear una nueva configuración en el software ...