Multicenter performance evaluation of the MultiDrugQuant assay kit.
e21140 Background: Multidrug resistance is the most frequent type of resistance to anticancer chemotherapy, which usually results from the overexpression of efflux transporters, such as the MDR1, MRP1 and BCRP. Unfortunatelly, neither the genetic polymorphisms nor the mRNA/protein expression levels correlate closely with the functional activity. On the other hand, although the functional methods separately gave promising results, standardization and reproducibility of these tests failed to conform with values required from routine diagnostic methods. MultiDrugQuant (MDQ) kit was developed as an improved functional assay system, which can measure the multidrug resistance activity of the three, clinically most relevant efflux transporters using flow cytometry in living tumor cells. The present study aimed to carry out the laboratory validation and to evaluate the performance of the MDQ-kit. Methods: Validation of the kit was carried out according to the standards of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute in three university centres. Mononuclear cells were separated using Ficoll gradient and tested at 2-5×106/ml within 6 hours after specimen collection. Activities of the multidrug transporters were calculated from the difference between the mean fluorescent intensity of cells w/o the specific inhibitors, respectively. Inaccuracy and comparative measurements were carried out using cell lines with low and high activity of the transporters. Results on different flow cytometers were compared using CD45 CD19 or CD3 monoclonal antibodies for gating the population of interest. Results: The assay proved to be specific and robust at various concentrations of the fluorescent dyes (10-100 % of the original) or inhibitors (50-150 % of the original). Both intraassay and interassay reproducibilities were <5 %. Multidrug resistance activity values determined on different flow cytometers were comparable and eligible. Conclusions: The MDQ assay provides quantitative results on the activity of the MDR1, MRP1 and BCRP in the target cells, which might be used to predict the resistance of these cells to particular cytotoxic agents. Recently, the MDQ-kit has been registered for in vitro diagnostic use in the EU.