Factors affecting the binding of lectins to normal human skin.

Factors affecting the binding of a wide range of lectins to normal human skin were examined in order to evaluate current discrepancies in the literature. The profile of specific binding characteristic for each lectin was found to be variously influenced by the source of conjugate, tissue-processing method, the effectiveness of saccharide inhibitors, and by individual and minor body site variations. Most significantly, the use of routine histological processing not only greatly reduced binding intensity overall but also altered the binding pattern.