Cytochemical methods for the backscattered electron imaging mode of scanning electron microscopy: further applications to the study of human leukemic cells.

The Backscattered Electron Imaging (BEI) mode of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has been applied to the study of cells stained with various heavy metals in cytochemical reactions. Improvements or modifications of some of these methods and their application to the study of normal and leukemic leukocytes have been evaluated in this report. The results obtained after staining peroxidase-positive granules with osmium, copper, cobalt-nickel and gold-cobalt are compared. Granules containing non-specific esterase activity were demonstrated in the BEI mode after incubation of the cells in Hanker medium and staining with osmium. While sites of acid phosphatase activity were easily localized with a conventional lead method, alkaline phosphatase activity was demonstrated only in the phagocytic vacuoles of cells previously incubated with latex particles and subsequently stained with lead. Cell nuclei were identified in the BEI mode after silver methenamine or bismuth staining. Combining their cell surface and cytochemical characteristics a more accurate identification of the different blood cell types with the SEM becomes possible.