Identification of haematic cells by. spectroscopic analysis on the intrinsic fluorescence

The determination of blood cell composition has been a valuable tool in diagnoses. In particular, both total and differential counts are considered the basic parameters that characterize the leukocyte population. Since 100 years ago, manual techniques were introduced that allow a morphological examination of blood smears. At present, the automated analysis has been proved to be particularly difficult to standardize. In fact, the identification and count of the five leukocyte populations are not completely solved problems in routine methods for hematological analysis. Optoelectronics could have a decisive role in the development of new techniques that can ensure characteristics of automation, reliability, accuracy and rapidity of execution. Fluorescence spectroscopy techniques could represent a valid approach. Recently, the evaluation of tissue and cell autofluorescence has been applied to the diagnosis of solid tissue neoplasies. In this work, we have considered the possibility to develop a reliable method of leukocyte analysis based on their intrinsic fluorescence emission properties. The study has been performed by applying both spectrofluorometric techniques to enriched suspensions of cells and microspectrofluorometric techniques to single leukocytes. The results obtained have shown the possibility to recognize some cell populations on the grounds of the intrinsic fluorescence characteristics.