Flow cytometric assay for combined measurement of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans

A rapid quantitative flow cytometric (FCM) assay for the combined kinetic measurement of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled Candida albicans is described. The fraction of phagocytosing leukocytes and the numbers of attached or internalized Candida albicans per phagocytosing leukocyte were quantified by FCM, using trypan blue and a fluorescence quenching technique. Results obtained by microscopy agreed with the FCM estimates of phagocytosis. Dead, but not live, Candida albicans stained by propidium iodide (PI). Thus, both viable and intracellularly killed fungi could be discriminated and measured by FCM. Phagocyte killing determined by the FCM assay correlated with killing measured by a standard microbiological test and by methylene blue staining. The method allows rapid and accurate testing of opsonic and phagocytic functions under both experimental and clinical conditions.