Application of flow cytometry for early diagnosis and monitoring in cats with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia

Abstract

The study aimed to apply flow cytometry (FC) for early detection and monitor of treated response cats with IMHA by measuring immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and immunoglobulin-M (IgM) on red blood cells. Coombs' test and FC method were performed in twenty-nine cats including: ten clinically normal client-owned cats and nineteen anemic cats with packed cell volume of less than 27%. Five anemic cats were positive for Coombs' test and had significantly high levels of IgG and IgM on the red blood cells with high level of mean fluorescene intensity (MFI) measured by the FC method. In seven out of the fourteen anemic cats with negative Coombs' results, the FC method demonstrated the increase of MFI values for red blood cell-bound feline IgG and IgM. These seven cats were suspected of having subclinical IMHA. The FC method can provide the MFI value of the red blood cell-bound feline IgG and IgM which can be used for early detection and monitoring of the treated response in cats with IMHA.