Staining of blood cell surfaces with a lectin-horseradish peroxidase method.

Abstract

Human and rabbit blood cell surfaces were stained by a lectin-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique using either concanavalin A (Con A) or Lens culinaris hemagglutinins (LcH). Intensity of staining of the human cells with the Con A-HRP method decreased in the order: platelets, mononuclear cells, granulocytes, erythrocytes. Cell surface staining of mature cells was similar to the bone marrow precursor cells as well as to leukemic blast cells. Surface staining of erythrocytes correlated with agglutinability of these cells with Con A or LcH. Differing ability of Con A and LcH to allow penetration of diaminobenzidine into myeloid cells indicated stearic differences in their binding to the cell surface. The Con A-HRP staining of cell surfaces was prevented on all cells by prior periodate oxidation and on cells other than erythrocytes by prior acetylation but was not altered by methylation or sialidase digestion.