Mast cell staining

A. H E staining and Mast cell staining (arrows) of enlarged right sciatic nerve where Nfl-/- LacZ+ SKPs had been implanted showing features consistent with plexiform neurofibroma... 

Fig.1. Electron micrograph of a mast cell in human heart tissue. The cytoplasm contains numerous secretory granules. The mast cell is adjacent to a coronary blood vessel, surrounded by collagen fibers and close to a myocyte. Uranyl acetate and lead citrate stained. Orig. magnif. lO.OOOx. 

Mastocytosis is recognized in most patients because of the presence of characteristic cutaneous lesions [10]. A positive Darier s sign and/or histological examination of the skin using metachromatic stains, or by immunohistochemistry using antibodies to mast cell tryptase, helps confirm the diagnosis of cutaneous disease. 

More recently, the same group [13] found positive chymase staining in lung mast cells from postmortem samples after fatal anaphylactic drug reactions. 

As the buffer used in these studies [86, 158] is hypotonic to rat peritoneal mast cells, incubations of greater than 10 min result in significant cell swelling, a large increase in membrane permeability, as judged by trypan blue staining, and eventually cell lysis. This raises some concern as to the location of the site... 

Srinivasan et al. (2006) continuation of Srinivasan et al., 1996) Same study population 10 CD subjects who supplemented GFD with 50 g oats/day for 3 months Immune responses of in vitro duodenal mucosal culture treated with Abs against HLA D-related, Ki-67, CD25, CD54, ICAM-1, and mast cell tryptase None of the patients developed clinical or lab evidence of adverse effects Distribution of intestinal HLA-DR expression was not affected Number of CD25 and tryptase positive cells was not altered Distribution and intensity of ICAM-1 staining unchanged No evidence of immune activation from oats supplementation... 

Why do the vesicles of some mast cells, which contain large quantities of histamine, stain red with the dye eosin ... 

Numerous reports, which rely chiefly on histochemical tests, have indicated that in pathological states of skin, especially in inflammation and malignancies, there is an increase in the level of acid mucopolysaccharides. High mucopolysaccharide contents of biopsy skin sections were demonstrated in chronic lupus (MIO) and in some cases of venous edema (Zl)j in scleroderma, however, the mucopolysaccharide content of the affected skin was low (MIO). Skin lesions from patients with lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, lichen sclerosus et atro-phicus, and poikiloderma showed significant increases in material which was stained histochemically (S20). In two cases of urticaria pigmentosa, hyaluronic acid was found in the histologically abundant mast cells (II) injection of hyaluronidase into the involved skin areas apparently cured the patients. An increased concentration of acid mucopolysaccharides has been obseri ed in sun-damaged skin (G5, SI, S12, S18). 

Marshall, J.S., Ford, G.P. and Bell, E.B. (1987). Formalin sensitivity and differential staining of mast cells in human dermis. Br. J. Dermatol. 117, 29-36. 

Strobel, S., Miller, H.R.P. and Ferguson, A. (1981). Human intestinal mucosal mast cells evaluation of fixation and staining techniques. J. Clin. Pathol. 34, 851-858. 

This uncommon lymphoma morphologically consists of a mixture of lymphoid cells, plasma cells, and cells sharing the characteristics of both lymphocytes and plasma cells. Mast cells are quite prominent. Plasma-cytoid features may take the form of Dutcher bodies, as well as Russell bodies, which may be enhanced by staining with PAS. The typical presentation for this lymphoma is bone marrow involvement with little nodal or spleen involvement. These lymphomas typically present with a monoclonal gammopathy of IgM and its associated hyperviscosity and/or cryoglobulinemia (Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia). An association with hepatitis C has been noted with this lymphoma. 

Although the previously mentioned markers are helpful in distinguishing between different germ cell tumors, they are not entirely specific. CD 117 or c-kit is a marker of interstitial cell of Cajal (and therefore stains gastrointestinal stromal tumors), mast cells, and melanocytes in addition to germ cells.CD30 (+ in embryonal carcinoma) is an activation marker, often seen in... 

Matsuki and colleagues evaluated histidine decarboxylase, an enzyme of the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation system known to be distributed in mast cells and enterochromaffin-like cells, with the hypothesis that this enzyme was a marker for neuroendocrine differentiation. The authors found that the anti-histidine decarboxylase antibody stained most small cell lung cancers (18 of 23 sensitivity 0.78) and was rarely reactive with non-neuroendocrine lung tumors... 

Figure 6. Mast cells from pig intestinal mucosa (the main source oj commercial heparin). The tissue section was stained with toluidine blue the mast cell is characterized by the many granules stained with the dye. (magnification = 1000X)...

The identification in 1937 of the staining properties of heparin with meta-chromatic dyes with the similar staining of the mast cells by Wilander meant the satisfactory identification of the source and location of much of the heparin in the body. Recent descriptions of the mast cells are given by Bloom and Smith . Equally important was the identification of histamine as the other important pharmacologically active component of the mast cell by Riley, Shepherd and West . This is further discussed in the book by Riley . In general, there is a rough correlation between the distribution of heparin, histamine, hyaluronic acid and the mast cells. 

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