The demonstration and automatic quantitation of mast cells by image analyzing computer

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Abstract
In order to investigate the significance and possible modes of action of mast cells in gingiva, it was necessary to have available consistent methods for their identification and quantitation in tissue samples. It was found that the Padawer (1959) technique known as a highly selective method for staining mast cells in various vertebrate sdid not consistently stain these cells in rhesus monkey gingiva. An attempt was made to modify and control the different steps of the technique to stain mast cells consistently, to shorten the time necessary and to have as little background stain as possible in order to utilize a Quantimet 720 Image Analyzer for automatic quantitation of mast cells. The staining system adopted has the following advantages over other methods. The results consist of an intense metachromasia of mast cell granules with a very faint orthochromatic background; the final product is produced in 2.5 hours and furnishes an intense contrast between mast cell granules and all other constituents of the tissue. Having established the technique, the accuracy and applicability of automatic counts using a Quantimet 720 Image Analyzing Computer was investigated. Results revealed that the mean counts of mast cells of two hundred sections obtained by manual and Quantimet methods were comparable.