A flow cytometric assay for D8/17 B cell marker in patients with Tourette's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder

Abstract

D8/17 is proving to be an important diagnostic and treatment tool in patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study represents a direct comparison of immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry in terms of their relative efficiency in the detection of the DB/17 B cell marker. Analysis of 41 patients with OCD or TS and 31 control subjects by immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometer demonstrated an average of 6.5% of D8/17-positive B cells in controls with an average of 19.6% in OCD patients. Using the flow cytometer, values of 6.2% for controls and 22.4% for OCD patients were obtained. The flow cytometer test was able to count ma..