Platelet Flow Cytometry: Instrument Setup, Controls, and Panel Performance

Platelet flow cytometry is widely used in cardiovascular medicine as the platelet surface is rich in clinical biomarkers. Surface profiling is critical in disease management, but current assays can abet clinical errors as they are suboptimal and prone to bias. Accordingly, the technical and analytical advances that can be used to create high quality assays with minimal error and maximal sensitivity were reviewed. Specifically, the best practices for instrument setup, quality control, panel design, titration, gating, and compensation were described. Adherence to these practices will enhance the validity and reliability of platelet flow cytometry in clinical/research settings.