The use of scanning immuno-electron microscopy to detect surface membrane immunoglobulins and antigens on normal and leukemic human leukocytes: current status.

In this report we review the use of scanning immuno-electron microscopy (SIEM) as a means of elucidating the location of cell surface membrane immunoglobulins (SMIg) and antigens (SMAg) on normal and leukemic human leukocytes. SMIg as well as SMAg were detected on various subpopulations of cells under the SEM, readily enabling identification of different types of circulating and cultured leukocytes. It is apparent from current data that the application of highly-specific monoclonal antibodies, multiple labeling procedures and improved methods of quantitation with SEM may well provide a more sensitive and elegant methodology for the identification of individual membrane components in a wide variety of mammalian cell systems.