Artifactual staining of monoclonal antibodies in two-color combinations is due to an immunoglobulin in the serum and plasma

Two-color whole blood lysis is the assay of choice for lymphocyte immunophenotyping because of the additional information it provides. Recently, artifactual double-staining of some specimens has been observed with this assay. In these cases, the samples appear to be uncompensated for spectral overlap or to inappropriately coexpress two antigens simultaneously. This artifact can result in the apparent coexpression of CD4 and CD8 (observed in lymphoblastic processes) or of CD5 and CD20 (characteristic of chronic lymphocytic leukemia) in normal persons, leading to an erroneous diagnosis. Using plasma, serum, or immunoglobulin preparations from donors who exhibit this artifact we sought to determine 1) the source of the artifact and 2) ways to overcome it. This staining is apparently due to an immunoglobulin in the donors' serum and plasma which does not have specific reactivity with mouse immunoglobulin. Washing whole blood samples or blocking with mouse immunoglobulin is a convenient way of avoiding this artifact. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.