Protocol to characterize immune cell subpopulations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neuroinflammatory diseases using mass cytometry

Summary: Phenotypic and compositional changes of immune cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be used as biomarkers to help diagnose and track disease activity for neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we present a workflow to perform high-dimensional immune profiling at single-cell resolution using cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) on cells isolated from the CSF of patients with neuroinflammation. We describe steps for sample collection and preparation, barcoding to allow for multiplexing, and downstream data analysis using R.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Fernández-Zapata et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.