Simultaneous demonstration of membrane antigens and cytochemistry at ultrastructural level: a study with the immunogold method, acid phosphatase and myeloperoxidase.

We describe a method for electron microscopy that combines myeloperoxidase or acid phosphatase cytochemistry with the labelling of cell surface antigens with monoclonal antibodies and colloidal gold. This technique was tested in samples of normal mononuclear cells, leukaemic T cells with a mature or immature phenotype and an acute myeloid leukaemia. This method allows the demonstration at a single cell level of ultrastructural morphology, cytochemical reaction and the presence of a membrane antigen. It will improve further the analytic power of electron microscopy in the characterization of leukaemic cells particularly in cases of mixed leukaemias and in the study of normal haemopoietic differentiation with monoclonal antibodies.