HISTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULAR AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF THE HUMAN SPLEEN

Several histochemical methods were applied to identify the various cellular and structural elements of the human spleen. These included naphthol AS acetate esterase and reticulin stain for the sinuses, fluoride-resistant esterase for macrophages, alkaline phosphatase for vascular structures, chloroacetate esterase for neutrophils, cyanide-resistant peroxidase and chlorazol fast pink for eosinophils, toluidine blue for basophils and pseudoperoxidase for erythrocytes and erythroblasts. The methods are simple, sensitive and readily reproducible and are best used in combination, so that several types of cells can be identified simultaneously. The location of these cells in the spleen and the interaction between these cells are readily appreciated. These methods can be used to study the morphologic changes of spleen in various hematologic disorders.