METHOD FOR CLASSIFYING/COUNTING LEUKOCYTES, REAGENT KIT FOR CLASSIFYING LEUKOCYTES, AND REAGENT FOR CLASSIFYING LEUKOCYTES

摘要

The present invention provides a method for classifying and counting leukocytes which allows classification and count of normal leukocytes as well as discrimination between blast cells and atypical lymphocytes. The method for classifying and counting leukocytes comprises the steps of: preparing a measurement sample by mixing a biological sample; a first reagent for staining nucleic acid; and a second reagent containing cationic and nonionic surfactants for lysing erythrocytes and damaging cell membranes of leukocytes so as to be permeable to a fluorescent dye and an aromatic organic acid at a concentration of not less than 20 mM and not more than 50 mM; obtaining scattered light information and fluorescence information generated by applying light to the measurement sample; and based on the obtained scattered light information and fluorescence information, classifying the leukocytes in the biological sample and detecting blast cells and atypical lymphocytes by differentiating therebetween, wherein when the second reagent contains the aromatic organic acid at a concentration of not less than 20 mM and less than 30 mM, the second reagent has pH of not lower than 5.5 and not higher than 6.4, and when the concentration is not less than 30 mM and not more than 50 mM, the pH is not lower than 5.5 and not higher than 7.0.