Table 2.
Tool box for MK identification.
| Methods | Information | Disadvantages | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immuno-histology/ Immuno-fluorescence |
• Identity and markers of maturation (CD41, CD42,CD61, vWF,…) • Cell and nucleus morphology • Presence of proplatelet/cytoplasmic elongation • Granule content staining • Cytoskeleton staining (Actin, tubulin, Vimentin, RhoA, VE-Cadherin) with subcellular localization • Interactions with other cells, stroma • MK/cm² |
Fixed samples (dynamic evaluation impossible) | Rapkiewicz et al., 2020 (47) J. Balko, et al., 2022 (30) Valet et al., 2022 (13) Zhu et al., 2022 (49) |
| Electron microscopy | • Cell and nucleus morphology • Presence of demarcation membrane system • Granules |
Fixed samples | Scandola et al., 2020 (113) Ouzegdouh et al., 2018 (81) Zhu et al.,2022 (49) |
| Flow cytometry | • High-throughput quantification of MK count/organ • Expression of membrane, cytoplasmic or nuclear protein allowing advanced population characterization (markers of maturation, inflammatory molecules, adhesion molecules, transcription factor,…) • Ploidy |
Contamination with leukocyte-platelet aggregates | Pariser et al., 2021 (20) Lefrancais et al., 2017 (19), Yeung et al., 2020 (34) |
| Imaging flow cytometry | • Quantification of MK count/organ • Morphological information • High-throughput quantification of MK count/organ • Expression of membrane, cytoplasmic or nuclear protein allowing advanced population characterization • Ploidy • platelet-leukocyte aggregate discrimination |
Complex analyses | McGrath, 2015 (114) Bush et al., 2021 (115) |
| Intravital microscopy | • Dynamic analysis of MK egress, proplatelet elongation, platelet formation • Interactions with other cells and stroma • Cell and nucleus morphology |
Limited area Not in Human |
Stegner & Heinze, 2020 (116) |
| Blood sampling | • Concentration of circulating MK/ml of blood | Dependent on blood sampling location, age, … | Pedersen, 1978 (37) Hume et al., 1964 (42) Pedersen & Cohn, 1981 (117) |
CD, Cluster of differentiation; MK, megakaryocyte; Rho1, Ras homolog family member A; VE-cadherin, vascular endothelial cadherin; vWF, von willebrand factor.