COMBINED STAINING METHOD FOR THE DEMONSTRATION OF TISSUE EOSINOPHILS AND MAST-CELLS

Quantitation of mast cells and eosinophils is of value in studies of a llergic or parasitic tissue inflammation. We describe a new method tha t combines two reliable stains, astra blue and vital new red, to stain both mast cells and eosinophils in the same tissue section. The mast cells stain violet-blue and the eosinophils bright red. Because this m ethod stains both cells in tissue that has been fixed with formol sali ne or buffered formaldehyde, it can be used on archival tissue that ha s undergone standard fixation. The minimal staining of the background makes quantitative studies of both cells simple, even at low magnifica tion.