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Updated: Dec 12, 2025
Basophil Activation Test for Allergy Diagnosis
Published on: May 31, 2021
Basophil Activation Techniques: Staining of Exteriorized Granule Matrix
Jessy Elst1, Vito Sabato2,3, Margo M Hagendorens2,4
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Department of Immunology, Allergology, Rheumatology and the Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. jessy.elst@uantwerpen.be.
Abstract:
The basis of traditional flow cytometry allergy diagnosis is measurement of the expression of basophilic surface activation and/or degranulation markers. Basophils, upon encounter with a specific allergen that cross-links surface FcRI-bound IgE antibodies, not only secrete and release quantifiable bioactive mediators but also upregulate the expression of different markers (e.g., CD63, CD203c) which can be detected by multicolor flow cytometry using specific monoclonal antibodies. Here, we describe a novel technique that relies upon the staining of exteriorized anionic proteoglycans from a basophil granule matrix by cationic fluorescent avidin probes.
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01:13Special Staining Techniques
01:03Fixation and Sectioning
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...