Histological Staining
Toluidine blue - one of the most common stains for acid mucopolysaccharides and glycoaminoglycans, components of mast cells granules.
Surface markers - Cell surface markers of mast cells were referred in detail by Heneberg, claiming that mast cells may be inadverently included in the stem or progenitor cell isolates since part of them is positive for the CD34 antigen. The classical mast cell markers include the high affinity IgE receptor, CD25 (non-neoplastic mast cells), CD117 (c-Kit), CD23 and CD203c (for most of the mast cell populations). Expression of some molecules may change in course of the mast cell activation.
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