Lectin-binding sites in the anterior segment of the human eye.

The anterior segment of the human eye was screened for differences in the lectin-binding patterns of Con A, PNA, GS-I, WGA, SBA, DBA, and UEA-I to enable cell typing for cell-culture purposes. An immunohistochemical technique combining an indirect antibody-lectin method with the avidin-biotin system was used. Con A and WGA were bound by all cells except the conjunctival goblet cells. UEA-I was exclusively bound by both vascular endothelial cells and some corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells. The binding of GS-I, PNA, SBA, and DBA showed an uneven pattern and differed among the cases investigated. The reasons for these differences are not clear. Our results indicate that the usefulness of lectins for cell-typing purposes is restricted and must be determined for every case.