Method for agglutinating erythrocytes, method for separating erythrocytes, and hemagglutination reagent
Methods of agglutinating and separating erythrocytes, by which erythrocytes can be instantaneously agglutinated into a sufficient size in a blood sample and completely separated from the blood sample; and a hemagglutination reagent are provided. The method of agglutinating erythrocytes according to the present invention includes adding a solution containing a cholic acid-based surfactant and an acid to a blood sample. The method of separating erythrocytes according to the present invention includes separating the erythrocytes agglutinated by the above-described method of the present invention. The hemagglutination reagent according to the present invention contains a cholic acid-based surfactant and an acid.
1. A method of agglutinating erythrocytes, the method comprising adding a solution containing a cholic acid-based surfactant and an acid to a blood sample, wherein said solution has a pH of from 2.5 to 4.0 and wherein the cholic acid-based surfactant is sodium taurodeoxycholate hydrate.
2. A method of separating erythrocytes from a blood sample, the method comprising separating erythrocytes agglutinated by the method according to claim 1 .
3. A hemagglutination reagent, which contains a cholic acid-based surfactant and an acid, wherein said reagent has a pH of from 2.5 to 4.0 and wherein the cholic acid-based surfactant is sodium taurodeoxycholate hydrate.
4. Use of the reagent according to claim 3 , as a reagent for agglutinating erythrocytes.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not employ centrifugation.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sample consists of whole blood, optionally diluted with a diluent.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said diluent consists of a physiological saline solution.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the sodium taurodeoxycholate hydrate in the solution is from 0.1 to 6.0% by weight.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the concentration of the sodium taurodeoxycholate hydrate in the reagent is from 0.1 to 6.0% by weight.