A comparison of methods for nasal mast cell demonstration

C M Trotter, D M Salter, J A Wilson, G H Hall

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Nasal turbinates were studied from 14 rhinitis patients following surgical turbinectomy, and from five subjects at autopsy. Mast cell counts on turbinectomy specimens were compared following staining with toluidine blue or Alcian blue and safranin after fixation in either paraformaldehyde or neutral buffered formalin. Mast cell numbers were significantly greater in the superficial submucosa than in the epithelium or deep submucosa in both the rhinitis group and the autopsy subjects. The combination of PFA fixation and ABS staining gave maximum mast cell counts, revealed two morphological mast cell sub-types and gave optimal demonstration of nasal tissue. Nasal mast cells are thus not uniformly distributed, appear heterogeneous under light microscopy, are present in large numbers even in the elderly, and are best demonstrated using PFA fixation and ABS staining.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)17-23
Number of pages7
JournalRhinology
Volume28
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Mar 1990

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Histological Techniques
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mast Cells
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasal Mucosa
  • Staining and Labeling
  • Turbinates

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