Flow Cytometric Analysis of Peripheral Blood Neutrophil Myeloperoxidase Expression for Ruling Out Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Protocol for a Diagnostic Accuracy Study

"Performance of flow cytometric analysis of neutrophil myeloperoxidase expression in peripheral blood samples will be blinded to the reference standard. Peripheral blood samples will be collected in 5 ml (EDTA) anticoagulant plastic tubes and processed on the same day of collection.~Blood samples will be incubated with a panel of antibodies conjugated to fluorochromes, according to the manufacturers' recommendations.~At least 10,000 cell events will be acquired on a 3-laser, 8/12-color flow cytometer and analyzed using flow cytometry software. Myeloperoxidase expression in the peripheral blood neutrophil population within an individual subject will be expressed as intra-individual robust coefficient of variation (RCV)."