Open AccessThe Staining of Mast Cells: A Historical Overview
Author(s) -
Doménico Ribatti
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international archives of allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1423-0097
pISSN - 1018-2438
DOI - 10.1159/000487538
Subject(s) - staining , mast cell , metachromasia , heparin , stain , tryptase , pathology , glycosaminoglycan , immunology , biology , mast (botany) , differential staining , interleukin 33 , medicine , cytokine , biochemistry , interleukin
The specificity of several staining methods for mast cells provides the pathologist with a useful means for the differential diagnosis of mast cell tumors. Mast cells stain metachromatically with toluidine blue with greater intensity in cells containing smaller granules. Most stains for mast cells rely on the cell's content of heparin, other glycosaminoglycans, and esterase. As an alternative to histochemical stains, different antibodies have been used to identify mast cells in humans.