Abstract
Mast cells are bone marrow-derived cells that are widely distributed in the tissue. They are found predominantly in the subepithelial tissue near blood vessels and nerves and usually are sprinkled diffusely without forming clusters. In tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, normal mast cells usually display a round-to-oval nucleus with clumped chromatin and indistinct or no nucleoli. They have moderately abundant cytoplasm and are oval, spindle, or polygonal in shape. The cytoplasm is amphophilic, and sometimes small slightly eosinophilic granules may be visible. Hematoxylin and eosin staining is not a specific or reliable method for detecting mast cells in tissue sections because of variable cellular morphology. For confirmation of mast cells, special stains, such as mast cell tryptase or CD117, are required.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Krishnaswamy, G., Kelley, J., Johnson, D., et al. (2001) The human mast cell: functions in physiology and disease. Front. Biosci. 6, D1109–D1127.
Craig, S. S., Schechter, N. M., and Schwartz, L. B. (1988) Ultrastructural analysis of human T and TC mast cells identified by immunoelectron microscopy. Lab. Invest. 58, 682–691.
Meloan, S. N. and Puchtler, H. (1987) Harris hematoxylin: what Harris really wrote and mechanism of hemalum stains. J. Histotechnol. 10, 257.
Haas, E. (1981) 50 Diagnostic Special Stains for Surgical Pathology. J. B. Lippincott and Company, Philadelphia.
Peeker, R., Enerback. L., Fall, M., and Aldenborg, F. (2000) Recruitment, distribution and phenotypes of mast cells in interstitial cystitis. Urology 163, 1009–1015.
Nakagami, T., Murakami, A., Okisaka, S., and Ebihara, N. (1999) Mast cells in pterygium: number and phenotype. Jpn. J. Opthamol. 43, 75–79.
Irani, A. M., Bradford, T. R., Keply, C. L., Schechter, N. M., and Schwartz, L. B. (1989) Detection of MCT and MCTC types of human mast cells by immuno-histochemistry using new monoclonal anti-tryptase and anti-chymase antibodies. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 37, 1509–1515.
Moloney, W. C., McPherson, K., and Fliegerman, L. (1960) Esterase activity in leukocyte demonstrated by the use of naphthol AS-D chloroacetate substrate. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 8, 200–207.
Yam, L. T., Li, C. Y., and Crosby, W. H. (1972) Cytochemical identification of monocyte and granulocytes. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 55, 283–290.
Miettinen, M., and Sarloma-Rikala, M. (2000) Esophageal stromal tumors: a clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic study of 17 cases and comparison with esophageal leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas. Am. J. Surg Pathol. 24, 211–222.
Miettinen, M. and Monihan, J. M. (1999) Gastrointestinal stromal tumors/smooth muscle tumors (GISTs) primary in the omentum and mesentery: clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 26 cases. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 23, 1109–1118.
Sircar, K., Hewlett, B. R., Huizinga, J. D., Chorneyko, K., Berezin, I., and Riddell, R. H. (1999) Interstitial cells of Cajal as precursors of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 23, 377–389.
Arber, D. A., Tamayo, R., and Weiss, L. M. (1998) Paraffin section detection of the c-kit gene product (CD117) in human tissues: value in the diagnosis of mast cell disorders. Hum. Pathol. 29, 498–504.
Finck, H. (1960) Epoxy resins in electron microscopy. J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 7, 27–30.
Luft, J. H. (1961) Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 9, 409–414.
Glauert, A. M. (1991) Epoxy resins: an update on their selection and use. Microscopy and Analysis. September; 15-20.
Araldite 502 kit, Technical data sheet. Electron microscopy Sciences. Available at: http://www.emsdiasum.com/microscopy/technical/techdata/54.aspx; Internet; accessed February 10, 2005.
Lewis, P. R. and Knight, D. P.(1977) Staining Methods for Sectioned Material, 1st ed. North-Holland Publishing, New York.
Login, G. R. and Giammra, B. (1993) Rapid Microwave Fixation, Staining and Embedding for Light and Electron Microscopy. Microscopy Society of America Workshop, Cincinnati, OH.
Bancroft, J. D. and Stevens, A. (1982) Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques. New York, Churchill Livingstone.
Carson, F. L. (1997) Histotechnology: A Self-Instructional Text, 2nd ed. ASCP Press, Chicago.
Luna, L. G. (1968) Histologic Staining Methods of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Luna, L. G., (1983) Hematoxylin and eosin staining problems and solutions. J. Histotechnol. 6, 16.
Naish, S. J. (1989) Handbook-Immunochemical Staining Methods. DAKO Corporation, Carpinteria.
One Step Pretreatments: Declere? and Trilogyâ„¢ (Electric pressure cooker protocol) Cell Marque, Hot Springs, AR.
CD117 (c-kit) (Polyclonal) datasheet. Cell Marque, Rev. 2, Hot Spring, AR.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Humana Press Inc.
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Shukla, S.A., Veerappan, R., Whittimore, J.S., Miller, L.E., Youngberg, G.A. (2006). Mast Cell Ultrastructure and Staining in Tissue. In: Krishnaswamy, G., Chi, D.S. (eds) Mast Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 315. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-967-2:063
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-967-2:063
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-374-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-967-7
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols